Human behaviour influencing UI design
Have you ever thought about the user’s behaviour? Why users do what they do when they correlate with a product or a service? What sparks them to complete a positive action, like signing up for an account, leaving their email, or heading to the checkout? Is it the simplicity of the user flow, the choice of colours, the placement of buttons, or the use of words?
What about when users are not connecting with your application or website? Is something not right with it? Should you go back to the drawing board?
There is a justification for these questions.
The importance of three elements converging at the same time in order for a behaviour to occur:
1. Motivation: How motivated is the user to partake in the behaviour?
2. Ability: How easy is it for the user to partake in the behaviour?
3. Trigger: How is the user prompted to partake in the behaviour?
When a behaviour does not happen, then at least one of this essential element is lacking.
Focus on consistency
Stable design is key to influencing how users interact with your website/Application. It’s in the very DNA of good UX. With a reliable design, users can automatically use your app/website without a second thought. It helps build trust and grows familiarity.
In order to attain a steady design, focus on regulating different elements. For example, users should be able to guess how different design aspects will behave by simply looking at them. Hence, the button that looks the same should behave the same too.
“A user interface is like a joke. If you have to explain it, it’s not that good.” — Martin Leblanc
By making it easy for users to use your product, you are already marking one of the key elements of triggering a behaviour: ability. Moreover, you can use your design components as a trigger to get users to do what you want them to, such as
- Register as a user.
- Enter their email.
- Leave a review.
- Add an item to their cart.
- Head to the checkout.
Uniform design is a powerful tool to control and change user behaviour, so make sure you use it.
Play with inadequacy
By playing with the perception of shortage and urgency, you can influence user behaviour.
Here are several ways you can introduce scarcity in your design:
- Promote time-touchy deals. This offer ends in 3 days.
- Display a countdown clock/stock meter. Only 3 left in stock.
- Offer exclusive benefits. The first 3 people to register to get free shipping.
Using limited-time-offer phrasings, offering exclusive benefits, or displaying a countdown clock are all effective ways to convey shortage and urgency. It feeds on the principle of supply and demand. As availability decreases, demand increases.
Moreover, this sense of urgency and scarcity not only acts as a trigger but also enhances the user’s motivation to act. For instance, if you tell a user that an offer ends in 12 hours, then the user will be more motivated to act within that period of time than if the same user had an unlimited amount of time to act. This is because, in such situations, users are pushed toward behaving a certain way, though often inadvertently.
Influencing and changing user behaviour is a huge undertaking. However, following these three methods can make the process much easier\
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