100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People

Avoid forcing people to multitask. It is difficult for them to do two things at once

Design factors, such as color, font, layout, and navigation, are critical in making it through the first “trust rejection” phase.

People seek out and pay attention to information and cues that confirm their beliefs. They don’t seek out—in fact, they ignore or even discount—information that doesn’t support what they already believe.

Even though it isn’t necessarily true, people equate having choices with having control.

When we’re unsure about what to do or buy, we look to testimonials, ratings, and reviews to tell us how to behave

Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Edison is a great example of someone who used deliberate and cognitive creativity.

People don’t like to be idle. • People will do a task rather than be idle, but the task has to be seen as worthwhile. If people perceive it to be busywork, then they prefer to stay idle. • People who are busy are happier. • If you have a task that requires people to wait, you’d better have something interesting for them to do while waiting.

Be aware that most people, most of the time, are more influenced by time and experiences that produce a personal connection than money or possessions.

Give people a small, easy task to do, rather than a complex one.