Creating Products that Stick: The Role of UX and UI in Adoption (Part II)
The use of Gestalt principles during design phase
Gestalt principles, also known as the “laws of organization,” are a set of principles in psychology that describe how people perceive and organize visual stimuli. These principles were first developed by a group of German psychologists in the early 20th century, who were influenced by the work of philosopher and psychologist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The term “Gestalt” is German for “form” or “shape,” and refers to the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Gestalt psychologists believed that the mind organizes sensory information into patterns and wholes, rather than simply processing individual stimuli.
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The Gestalt principles were first developed as a way to understand how people perceive and organize visual information, but they have also been applied to other areas of psychology, such as perception, learning, and memory. Today, the Gestalt principles are widely used in the fields of psychology, design, and marketing, and are often used to create more effective and user-friendly products and experiences.
Incorporating Gestalt principles into the design of a user interface can be a powerful tool for UX and UI designers. These principles, which describe how people perceive and organize visual stimuli, can help designers to create a more effective and user-friendly experience.
Some of the key Gestalt principles that designers can use include:
Proximity: Proximity refers to the idea that objects that are close to each other are perceived as being related. By placing related elements close to each other in the user interface, designers can create a visual hierarchy and guide the user’s attention towards important information.
In this example to emphasis the proximity of the two lines of text in relation to the rectangle instead of using a divider (left) you could add more padding to the element (right).
Gestalt proximity example
Similarity: Similarity refers to the idea that objects that are similar in some way are perceived as being related. By using similar colors, shapes, or other visual elements, designers can create a cohesive and intuitive user interface.
Continuation: Continuation refers to the idea that the eye is drawn to lines or shapes that lead the eye in a certain direction. By using lines or shapes to guide the eye towards important elements in the user interface, designers can create a more effective and user-friendly experience.
Closure: Closure refers to the idea that the brain tends to fill in missing information to create a complete picture. By using closure to create visual continuity and coherence in the user interface, designers can create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
Figure-ground: Figure-ground refers to the idea that the brain perceives some elements as being in the foreground, while others are perceived as being in the background. By using figure-ground to create a clear hierarchy in the user interface, designers can guide the user’s attention towards important elements and create a more effective and user-friendly experience. In this example you are able to see the foreground object (dialog) thanks to the use of a slightly darker background.
Gestalt figure-ground example
Let’s continue with the online grocery delivery service from the previous examples. To create a user-friendly interface for our service, we might use the principle of proximity to group related elements, such as items in the same category, together on the page. We could use the principle of similarity to create a cohesive design by using similar colors or shapes for related elements. We could use the principle of continuation to guide the user’s eye towards important information by using lines or shapes to lead the eye towards key elements on the page. We could use the principle of closure to create visual continuity and coherence in the user interface, by using closure to fill in missing information and create a complete picture. And we could use the principle of figure-ground to create a clear hierarchy in the user interface, by using figure-ground to highlight important elements and guide the user’s attention towards them. By incorporating these principles into the design of our user interface, we can create a more effective and user-friendly experience for our users which ultimately should result in much better adoption rate of your new product.
Other principles in psychology that UX and UI designers can use
In addition to Gestalt principles, there are many other psychological concepts that UX and UI designers can use to improve the user experience. One important consideration is cognitive load, which refers to the amount of mental effort required to use a product or perform a task. By minimizing cognitive load, designers can create designs that are easier for users to understand and use, which can increase the chances of successful adoption. Other psychological principles that designers can use include heuristics, mental models, and affordances.
Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to use a product or perform a task. By minimizing cognitive load, designers can create designs that are easier for users to understand and use, which can increase the chances of successful adoption. For example, when designing an online grocery delivery service, designers might consider ways to minimize cognitive load by organizing items in a logical and intuitive way, using clear and concise language, and providing clear instructions and guidance to users.
Heuristics refer to mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that people use to make decisions and solve problems. By designing products that align with common heuristics, designers can create designs that are more intuitive and easier for users to understand, which can increase the chances of successful adoption. For example, when designing an online grocery delivery service, designers might consider using heuristics such as the “recognition heuristic,” which states that people are more likely to choose items that are familiar or easy to recognize.
Some common heuristic include:
Representativeness heuristic: The representativeness heuristic states that people tend to judge the likelihood of an event based on how closely it matches their mental image of a typical example. This heuristic can be useful for designers looking to create designs that align with users’ expectations and mental models.
Availability heuristic: The availability heuristic states that people tend to judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily they can recall similar examples from memory. This heuristic can be useful for designers looking to create designs that are easy for users to remember and recall.
Anchoring and adjustment heuristic: The anchoring and adjustment heuristic states that people tend to rely on initial estimates or anchors when making decisions, and then adjust their estimates based on additional information. This heuristic can be useful for designers looking to create designs that provide clear and intuitive starting points for users.
Framing effect: The framing effect refers to the idea that the way in which information is presented can influence people’s decisions. This heuristic can be useful for designers looking to create designs that present information in a way that is most likely to influence users’ decisions.
Mental models refer to the mental representations that people use to make sense of the world around them. By designing products that align with users’ mental models, designers can create designs that are more intuitive and easier for users to understand, which can increase the chances of successful adoption. For example, when designing an online grocery delivery service, designers might consider how users’ mental models of shopping and ordering groceries might influence the design of the product.
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Some common types of mental models that designers can use to create user-centric products include:
Conceptual models: Conceptual models are mental representations of how a system or process works. They can be useful for designers looking to create products that are easy for users to understand and use. A designer might create a conceptual model of the online grocery delivery service that helps users to understand how to search for and add items to their cart, view their order history, and place an order. This model might include visual representations of the different screens and features of the service, as well as descriptions of how to use each feature.
Causal models: Causal models are mental representations of the relationships between different events or phenomena. They can be useful for designers looking to create products that help users to understand cause and effect relationships. For example, a designer might create a model that shows how searching for and adding items to the cart can impact the final cost of the order, or how choosing different delivery options can impact the delivery time.
Mental models of users: Mental models of users are mental representations of the characteristics, behaviors, and needs of different user groups. They can be useful for designers looking to create products that are tailored to the needs and preferences of specific user groups. A designer might create a mental model of the different user groups for the online grocery delivery service, including seniors, families, and busy professionals. This model might include information about the unique needs and preferences of each user group, such as a preference for large text and simple navigation among seniors, or a need for convenient delivery options among busy professionals.
Mental models of tasks: Mental models of tasks are mental representations of the steps and requirements for completing specific tasks. They can be useful for designers looking to create products that are easy for users to complete tasks efficiently and effectively. A designer might create a mental model of the different tasks that users might need to complete when using the online grocery delivery service, such as searching for items, adding items to the cart, and checking out. This model might include information about the steps and requirements for completing each task, as well as any potential challenges or obstacles that users might encounter.
Affordances refer to the opportunities for action that are provided by a product or environment. By designing products that provide clear and intuitive affordances, designers can create designs that are easier for users to understand and use, which can increase the chances of successful adoption. For example, when designing an online grocery delivery service, designers might consider how the layout and navigation of the site provides affordances for users to search for and add items to their cart, view their order history, and place an order.
Determining the success of product adoption
Once a new product or feature has been released, it is important for businesses to track and measure the success of the adoption. This can be done through a variety of methods. By gathering data on the adoption of a new product or feature, businesses can determine whether it is adding value to the market and meeting the needs of users.
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Here are several ways that businesses can track the adoption rate and gather feedback from users to measure the success of a product:
User surveys: One way to gather feedback from users is to send out a survey to gather information about their experience with the product. Surveys can be used to gather data on a variety of topics, including the adoption rate, user satisfaction, and any challenges or issues that users have encountered.
Analytics: Many products have built-in analytics tools that can provide data on how the product is being used. This can include information on the adoption rate, usage patterns, and any areas where users may be having difficulty.
Customer feedback: Gathering feedback from customers through channels such as social media, email, or phone support can provide valuable insights into the success of a product. This can include both positive and negative feedback, which can be used to identify areas for improvement.
A/B testing: A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a product to see which one performs better. This can be used to test different design elements and gather data on which elements are more effective in encouraging adoption.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction that is commonly used to assess the success of a product or service. It is based on the idea that customers who are highly satisfied with a product are more likely to recommend it to others. To calculate NPS, businesses typically ask customers to rate their likelihood to recommend the product on a scale of 0 to 10. Customers who score 9 or 10 are considered “promoters,” those who score 7 or 8 are “passives,” and those who score 0 to 6 are “detractors.” The NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. NPS can be a useful metric for tracking the success of a product, as it provides a quantitative measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty. By tracking NPS over time, businesses can identify trends and areas for improvement in their product or service. However, it is important to note that NPS is just one measure of customer satisfaction, and it may not capture all aspects of the customer experience.
There are several tools and software available for businesses to track analytics in their product, including Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude. These tools allow businesses to track metrics such as user adoption rate, usage patterns, and customer satisfaction, and provide insights into areas for improvement in the product. They also often offer features like A/B testing and user segmentation to help businesses optimize their product and improve the user experience. Two other services that can help you are Pendo, and Gainsight.
Pendo is a customer success platform that helps businesses understand user interactions with the product and provides guidance on improving the user experience.
Gainsight is a customer relationship management platform that helps businesses track customer interactions and analyze customer data, and is commonly used by businesses in the SaaS industry to track customer success and retention.
Conclusion
As UX and UI designers, we have the power to significantly impact the adoption of a product. Today, we’ve just barely scratched the surface on all the ways we can do this.
To summarize, the work of UX and UI designers is vital in the product adoption process. By designing with the user in mind, we can create products that meet their needs and achieve their goals. Through market and user research, as well as the incorporation of psychological principles, we can craft products that have a higher likelihood of adoption and provide value to the market. By tracking and measuring adoption rates, businesses can gauge the success of their design efforts and make any necessary improvements.