📄 Article
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Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
A crisp, visual reference of the psychology principles behind good UX, perfect for a founder who wants the 'why' without a design degree. Bookmark it and consult it while you build.
From
lawsofux.com
by Jon Yablonski
reference site
- Hick's Law, more choices increase decision time; reduce options.
- Fitts's Law, make important targets large and close.
- Jakob's Law, users expect your product to work like the ones they already use.
Open
lawsofux.com →
📖 Book
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Paid
Beginner
Why we picked it
The book behind the site, and worth it if you want the reasoning, not just the rules. Yablonski walks through familiar apps and shows exactly how Hick's, Fitts's, Jakob's, and a handful of others shaped them. Short enough to finish in a weekend and give you a real mental model instead of a list to memorize.
From
Laws of UX
by Jon Yablonski
Approx. 150 pages
- Real app teardowns show each law in the wild
- Covers the ethics of using psychology, not just the tactics
- A weekend read that upgrades how you look at any interface
Open
lawsofux.com →
✍️ Essay
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Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
This is the one principle that answers your worry head on: users spend most of their time on other apps, so they expect yours to work the way those do. It names why familiarity is a feature, not laziness, and where the mental models your users already carry come from. Treat it as the case for copying on purpose, then read the counterpoint below for where copying stops paying off.
From
Laws of UX
by Jon Yablonski (principle by Jakob Nielsen)
5 min read
- Users build expectations from every other app they use, then bring those expectations to yours, so matching known patterns lowers the effort to learn your product.
- Copying a convention is not unoriginal, it frees the user to focus on the task instead of decoding your interface.
- The familiarity that helps is external consistency (matching the wider category), not just internal consistency inside your own app.
Open
lawsofux.com →
📄 Article
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Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
The rule behind trimming your onboarding, your pricing tiers, and your menus. More choices mean slower decisions, so this card shows you where to cut and where to group. Useful the next time a screen feels heavy and you cannot say why.
From
Laws of UX
by Jon Yablonski
5 min read
- Decision time grows with the number of options
- Group and chunk choices instead of listing them flat
- Hide advanced options until a user actually needs them
Open
lawsofux.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
Why your primary button should be big and easy to reach, especially on mobile. The time to hit a target depends on its size and distance, which directly shapes where you place the main action on a screen. Read it before you shrink a call to action to make room for something else.
From
Laws of UX
by Jon Yablonski
5 min read
- Bigger, closer targets are faster and easier to tap
- Put the main action where the thumb naturally rests
- Small or crowded buttons cost you taps and cause errors
Open
lawsofux.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
The chunking principle that keeps forms and dashboards from overwhelming people. Working memory is limited, so you group information into digestible units rather than one long wall. It also corrects the common myth that you must cap navigation at seven items.
From
Laws of UX
by Jon Yablonski
5 min read
- People hold only a few chunks in mind at once
- Break long forms and lists into labeled groups
- The famous seven item rule is widely misapplied
Open
lawsofux.com →
📄 Article
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Free
Intermediate
Why we picked it
The deeper, research backed treatment from the field's most trusted usability lab. It explains the actual mechanics of target size and distance, then turns them into concrete rules for buttons, edges, and corners. Read this when you want more than a one card summary and are making real layout calls.
From
Nielsen Norman Group
by Raluca Budiu
12 min read
- Screen edges and corners are the fastest targets to hit
- Group related controls to shorten travel between them
- Backed by decades of usability research, not opinion
Open
nngroup.com →
📄 Article
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Free
Intermediate
Why we picked it
Users judge attractive products as more usable, which is why polish matters and also why it can hide real problems. As a founder this cuts both ways: a clean look buys goodwill, but it can mask issues that surface once users hit a real task. Read it so you know when to trust a good looking demo and when not to.
From
Nielsen Norman Group
by Kate Moran
8 min read
- People perceive attractive interfaces as easier to use
- A pretty design forgives small usability flaws but not large ones
- Good looks can hide problems during your own testing
Open
nngroup.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Intermediate
Why we picked it
A curated map of the psychology that underpins these laws, with links to go deeper on each. Rather than one principle, it connects memory, attention, decision making, and mental models into a coherent picture. Use it as a syllabus once the single law cards leave you wanting the why.
From
Nielsen Norman Group
by Tanner Kohler
10 min read
- Organizes the core psychology behind UX in one place
- Links out to focused pieces on each concept
- A structured path beyond isolated law cards
Open
nngroup.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
A clear, example rich walkthrough of Hick's Law with the history and the practical moves side by side. It shows how to figure out which functions to offer at each step so users are guided, not flooded. Good if you want a fuller narrative than a summary card.
From
Interaction Design Foundation
by Mads Soegaard
8 min read
- Traces the law from its 1950s origin to today's screens
- Shows how to prioritize functions step by step
- Explains what over choice does to a hesitant user
Open
interaction-design.org →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
A hands on explainer of how size and distance shape whether a control feels easy or fiddly. It uses concrete UI examples, including why pie and radial menus can beat long lists. Read it when you are placing and sizing the buttons that matter most.
From
Interaction Design Foundation
by Interaction Design Foundation
8 min read
- Size and distance together decide how fast a target is hit
- Concrete UI examples, including menu layout tradeoffs
- Directly informs where your primary action should sit
Open
interaction-design.org →
📖 Book
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Paid
Beginner
Why we picked it
The most accessible, practical intro to usability ever written, you can read it in a weekend and immediately fix your product. The definition of 'make it obvious, not clever.'
From
sensible.com
by Steve Krug
~200 pages
- Self-evident design is the goal, kill anything that adds thinking.
- Users satisfice: they scan and click the first reasonable option.
- Cheap, frequent usability testing beats large formal studies.
Open
sensible.com →
📖 Book
✓ Link checked
Paid
Beginner
Why we picked it
The foundational text on human-centered design that every product person should read once. It rewires how you see every product, including your own.
From
jnd.org / Basic Books
by Don Norman
~350 pages
- Make affordances and signifiers obvious, users shouldn't guess.
- Give clear, immediate feedback for every action.
- Design out errors rather than blaming users ('human error' is usually design error).
Open
jnd.org →
✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
The law in the author's own words, with the reasoning and the stakes spelled out. Nielsen explains why users transfer expectations across sites and what it costs you to fight that. Read the primary source once so you understand the idea, not just the slogan.
From
Jakob Nielsen (Substack)
by Jakob Nielsen
7 min read
- The principle direct from the person who named it
- Explains why users transfer habits between products
- Makes the real cost of ignoring conventions concrete
Open
jakobnielsenphd.substack.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked
India
Free
Beginner
Why we picked it
A clear Hick's Law primer from one of India's established design studios, so the framing sits close to home. It lays out four practical moves: simplify navigation, group information, prioritize actions, and reveal progressively. A grounded read if you want the principle without Western only examples.
From
Think Design (India)
by Stuti Mazumdar
7 min read
- Four concrete tactics you can apply to a screen today
- Written by a long running India based design practice
- Balances simplicity against familiarity and context
Open
think.design →
