Familiarity simplifies user interactions. According to the power law of learning, repeated exposure to design patterns helps users become more proficient with them. By incorporating standard elements—such as a search box in the top-right corner or a navigation bar—your website leverages users’ past experiences, making it easier for them to navigate and use your site effectively.
When users encounter these familiar patterns, they can quickly understand how to interact with your site, reducing their cognitive load and enhancing their overall experience. Consistent design also helps users build confidence and efficiency, as they don’t have to relearn basic navigation or functionality. This approach not only improves usability but also helps create a smoother, more intuitive user experience.
Jakob’s Law reinforces this idea: users tend to favor interfaces that match their previous experiences. Since they spend much of their time on other sites, sticking with familiar design standards can make their experience on your site more intuitive and efficient. By following well-established patterns, you reduce the cognitive effort required and make it easier for users to find what they need.
But does this mean innovation is off-limits? Are we forever destined to stick with conventional designs?
Understanding the Learning Curve:
Adopting new design patterns involves inherent learning costs for users. New interactions on screen demand time and effort to learn, which can temporarily reduce user efficiency and satisfaction. Users will need to be exposed to training materials, articles and tutorials to help speed up the process.
Strong Brand Presence: Established brands like Apple, Amazon, and Google can push for innovation more readily. Their strong brand equity provides users with a sense of trust and willingness to adapt to new designs.
In enterprise environments, where users have limited choices and frequently interact with the software, there’s more leeway for innovation. Employees accustomed to a new UI will gain proficiency through repeated use.
If users encounter your design several times a day, they are more likely to adapt quickly. High-frequency interactions accelerate the learning curve, making innovation more viable.
When a new design pattern becomes widely adopted—like the swipe-to-delete gesture in iOS or the hamburger menu on mobile browsers—users quickly become familiar with it. Collective adoption greatly helps users become experts faster.
Key Considerations for Introducing New UI Patterns
If you’re contemplating a new UI pattern in place of a well-established design, consider the following:
What are the performance Benefits:
Will the new design offer significant long-term advantages over the old one once users have learned it? It may not be worth the change if the new design doesn’t show any improvements for the user experience.
Facilitating Learning: Can you support users through the learning process? Providing contextual tips, guidance, or frequent exposure can ease the transition and increase the likelihood of users adapting to the new design.
What does it all mean:
Consistency is a cornerstone of effective design, but it can sometimes stifle innovation. Before diverging from established patterns, evaluate whether the innovation will genuinely enhance the user experience and if users will invest the necessary effort to adapt. If the benefits are substantial and you can support users through the learning process, innovation may be worth pursuing. However, remember that the path to innovation is often lengthy and costly. If users lack sufficient opportunities to learn, the advantages of a new design might never fully materialize.
Balancing consistency and innovation requires careful consideration. Strive to balance user familiarity with the potential advantages of new design approaches to create a seamless and effective user experience.
