100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 are very willing to click multiple times. In fact, they won’t even notice they’re clicking if they’re getting the right amount of information at each click to keep them going down the path. Think progressive disclosure; don’t count clicks.