Video · 5 min

Consistency vs. Innovation in UX Design

Raluca Budiu · Nielsen Norman Group Free Intermediate

This names the exact tension in your question and gives a rule for when innovation is worth its learning cost. Watch it to decide which single part of your product deserves to be new and which parts should just feel familiar.

  • Innovate only where the new pattern clearly beats the known one.
  • Every novel interaction charges the user an upfront learning tax.
  • Pick your one differentiator on purpose, do not scatter novelty.
Open on nngroup.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. Should I just copy the UI patterns of apps my users already use, or does that make my product forgettable?

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