Hick's Law

Hick's Law is based on the idea that every additional choice increases the cognitive load and the decision time for the user. The more options there are, the more effort and time it takes to evaluate them and select the best one. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and even paralysis of choice, where the user gives up and leaves without making any decision.

Hick's Law can be expressed mathematically as:

T = b log2 (n + 1)

where T is the average reaction time, b is a constant that depends on the task and the user, and n is the number of choices.

Hick's Law does not apply to all situations equally. It assumes that the choices are equally probable and difficult to discriminate. It also assumes that the user has no prior knowledge or preference that can guide his or her decision. However, these assumptions are not always true in real life. For example, if the user already knows what he or she wants before seeing the choices, or if some choices are more salient or attractive than others, then the decision time may be shorter than what Hick's Law predicts.

Why is Hick's Law important?

Hick's Law is important because it helps designers create user-friendly and satisfying experiences that meet the needs and goals of users. By reducing the number of choices and simplifying the decision making process, designers can:

• Increase usability: users can easily find what they are looking for and complete their tasks without errors or delays
• Increase engagement: users can enjoy the content, message, or product of the site and stay longer or return more often
• Increase conversion: users can be more likely to take action or make a purchase on the site

How to apply Hick's Law?

Hick's Law can be applied by following these steps:

1. Research your users: understand who your target users are, what their needs, pain points, motivations, behaviors, preferences, etc. are, and how they make decisions
2. Prioritize your choices: identify the most important and relevant choices for your users and eliminate or hide the unnecessary or irrelevant ones
3. Organize your choices: group your choices into logical categories and use clear labels, icons, colors, etc. to distinguish them
4. Highlight your choices: emphasize the most popular or recommended choices and use visual cues, such as contrast, size, position, etc. to draw attention to them
5. Test your choices: validate your design decisions by getting feedback from real users, using methods such as usability testing, user interviews, surveys, etc.

These steps are not fixed or rigid; you can iterate and refine them as needed. You can also use different tools and techniques to support each step, such as personas, journey maps, wireframes, prototypes, etc.

Examples of Hick's Law

Hick's Law has been applied by many successful sites and products across different domains and industries. Here are some examples:

• Google: the search engine uses a minimalist design with only one input field and two buttons for its home page, reducing the cognitive load and decision time for users
• Netflix: the streaming service uses a grid layout with thumbnails and titles for its content categories, making it easy for users to scan and select their preferred options
• Amazon: the e-commerce giant uses filters and sorting options for its product listings, allowing users to narrow down their choices according to their criteria

Conclusion

Hick's Law is a psychological principle that states that the more choices a person is presented with, the longer it will take for him or her to make a decision about which option is best. It helps designers create user-friendly and satisfying experiences that meet the needs and goals of users. It can be applied by reducing the number of choices and simplifying the decision making process.