don’t break the mental model
Written by Cynthia Pan
Have you ever visited a site or app that instantly made you click off? The directions were unclear, the buttons were inconsistent and visuals weren’t correlating with the content? These patterns are quietly driving users away from their digital product. The real culprit: lack of consistency.
unity is the key
For UX designers, their primary objective is to solve user problems and frustrations. However, this cannot be accomplished if they don’t have a clear idea of their users. Truly understanding the user and their needs, as well as pain points will help the designer create seamless and consistent experiences.
As American writer William Zinsser said in his book, “On Writing Well,” unity keeps the readers oriented and reassured. This applies to digital experiences in the same manner. Designers must ensure that their design follows a flow that is constant and also expected. This way, users are less likely to abandon tasks and accomplish their goals.
maintain the mental model
All people have preassumptions about how a digital system works. This is called a mental model. Users have internal beliefs of how interfaces should function. Here are a few common mental models:
Using the top-left logo to return to home
Back button behavior
The shopping cart or basket icon
Standard navigation
Breaking these mental models can cause unnecessary disruption of the user flow. This can create changes in user behavior, patience, motivation, and decision-making. On top of protecting the mental models, the user experience must also keep them cohesive.
how to create unity in design
The best way to ensure unity throughout design is to ask reflective questions throughout the process. Zinsser encourages his readers to ask these four questions, which can be practiced for UX design:
Who am I to the reader? (What role does the interface play in the user’s mental model?)
What pronoun, tense, style, and attitude will I use? (How does the product speak to the user?)
How much will I cover? (What does the user need to accomplish right now?)
What single point do I want to make? (If they remember only one thing, what should it be?)
Remember that revisions are normal and encouraged. To truly understand users is to truly understand people and how they think. This is what will ultimately make the product successful.
