User Psychology
When a user is interacting with your design whether through a mobile app or website, what takes place in their mind is what we call user psychology. An effective UX design can affect the brain in many predictable ways. In the next post, I am going to explain to you the basics of user psychology for UX design with no fluff or appetizers. We are going straight for the main course! I don’t know about you, but I could use a nice steak dinner right about now!
Question: Why?
Answer: Because I said so…… Well, the real answer is that you can’t consider yourself to be a great UX designer and not use psychology.
When designing, you’re creating a non-random affect in people to solve a problem. In other words, you make them feel, think, and do things, on purpose. The more you know about a user’s feelings, thoughts, and actions, the better designer you are.
Understanding their psychology helps you answer questions such as: Why do people like posts, not comment or when making purchases why don’t they choose the cheapest option every time? Why do people follow Kim Kardashian when she is famous for doing nothing?
Understanding their psychology helps you answer questions such as: Why do people like posts, not comment or when making purchases why don’t they choose the cheapest option every time? Why do people follow Kim Kardashian when she is famous for doing nothing?
(Still confuses me to this day.)
Some of the answers to these questions (sadly there is no answer to Kim’s rise to fame) might not be what you expect. Don’t listen to your instincts they might fail you!
Your Perspective
The first things you need to understand about yourself before you can get to know your users are:
1) What you want doesn’t matter to users.
2) The user could care less about what you want.
I know right, but tough luck!
The quicker you understand that, the quicker this will go.
If there is one overrated word in UX, it’s got to be “empathy”. It is important. Whether In general or in UX. But here’s a secret: unless you are a psychopath, you have empathy. If you are one then maybe UX design isn’t for you. Try baking.
Do research. Talk to users. Study the data. Cuddle some puppies.
When you really discern a situation, it becomes yours. That is what we call empathy ladies and gents! A good solution will create excite and drive. Not because your super in touch with your sensitive side but because you can relate to others!
You’re one of them now.
-Slow clap-
Ask yourself: If you have to choose a feature for your users or having this design in your portfolio, what will you choose? If users don’t like your design, what would probably be the reason? Have you actually tried the software, or are you just clicking “next” to get through it?
You know too much.
Designing for people who know less than you is a huge part of UX. Not people who are dumber than you just people who know less. For instance, you know that your app gets more effective the more you customize it, but users don’t. You also know that your prices are high because licensing fees for your content costs a lot, but users don’t.
If users don’t know, they don’t care.
Sometimes even when they do know, they don’t care! Licensing fees? Dev Costs and Maintenance? That’s your problem.
Ask yourself: If a user only had three clicks to find what they want, would this design work? Are you deciding on a feature based on the time it will take to build it, or its value to the user? Keep this in mind when designing for the optimum Human experience.
