Research: Human Factors Research

People have now read and referred to my 2013 column How Do Users Really Hold Mobile Devices? almost too much for my comfort. Why? Because, since I wrote that column, I have continued to do research, put my findings into practice for real products, written additional articles, and presented on that topic. In the years since then, I’ve learned a lot more about how people hold and touch their phones and tablets—a lot of which I did’t expect. And that’s the problem with my old columns. I made some assumptions that were based on observations of the usage of desktop PCs, standards for older types of interactions, and anecdotes or misrepresented data. However, through my later research and better analysis, I’ve been able to discard all of those erroneous assumptions and reveal the truth.

All too often, I see people referring to my oldest, least-accurate columns on this topic. Sometimes readers combine my obsolete data with other out-of-date information, then draw their own incorrect conclusions. I hope put a stop to that now with this updated overview of everything I know about how people interact with touchscreen devices and how you can use that information to design better digital products. Read More

This is a sample chapter from Jeff Johnson’s forthcoming book, Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules. 2010 Morgan Kaufmann.

Chapter 3: We Seek and Use Visual Structure

Chapter 2 used the Gestalt principles of visual perception to show how our visual system is optimized to perceive structure. Perceiving structure in our environment helps us make sense of objects and events quickly. Chapter 2 also mentioned that when people are navigating through software or Web sites, they don’t scrutinize screens carefully and read every word. They scan quickly for relevant information. This chapter presents examples to show that when information is presented in a terse, structured way, it is easier for people to scan and understand.

Consider two presentations of the same information about an airline flight reservation. The first presentation is unstructured prose text; the second is structured text in outline form (see Figure 3.1). The structured presentation of the reservation can be scanned and understood much more quickly than the prose presentation. Read More

Have you ever wondered why some apps and Web sites captivate users from the moment they sign up, while users quickly forget others? The reason is effective user onboarding. You can use your understanding of the human mind to improve user retention and product adoption.

The magic behind compelling user-onboarding experiences is no accident; it’s the result of meticulous design strategies that tap into the underlying principles of human behavior. By understanding and harnessing people’s cognitive biases—those inherent quirks in our decision-making processes—developers and designers can craft experiences that resonate deeply with users.

In this article, I’ll delve into the science of user engagement, revealing how the astute application of psychological insights can elevate a digital product from being routinely functional to becoming an essential part of users’ daily lives. We’ll discover the secrets of creating user-onboarding processes that not only captivate but also foster a connection that users find hard to let go, which marks the transition from casual browsing to committed usage. Read More