It's important to figure out whether you have the ability to see good design or not: * If your pages are crappy/don't look good then you aren't able to see good design. * Sometimes going back to basic design principles can be helpful * Negative space usage is important so users don't get overwhelmed * Sometimes templates can be helpful to save yourself extra time

UX Designers are very similar to rhetoricians as they are both working on getting a message/persuading their audience/users towards a certain goal. UX Designers must think about what might interest/appeal to a userto get them to click a certain area or link.

Security & Privacy: Users are motivated by fear of losing access or data.Frame security features as protection against loss.

E-Commerce Urgency: Amazon shows “Only 3 left in stock!” or “Deal ends in 2 hours.”

Icons & Visuals: Unfamiliar or inconsistent icons force users to guess. Use standard icons (trash bin = delete, magnifying glass = search). Gmail keeps standard iconography new, trash, and flag to keep it simple

UX Applications of Cognitive Load 1. Navigation

Complex menus with dozens of options overwhelm users. Limit main nav items (5–7 max), use clear labels, and group related content. Apple’s website keeps top navigation simple (Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, TV & Home).

Subscription & Donation Defaults: Users tend to stick close to the default amount they see first. Preselecting a mid- or high-level subscription or donation option.Users are anchored toward that choice even if smaller options exist.

Default Options: A form with a pre-selected donation of $50 anchors users toward donating around that amount, even if other options ($10, $25, $100) exist.

Mobile App Tabs: In a banking app, the first tab is “Accounts”, and the last tab is “Support.” Users naturally remember these, while less critical tabs like “Promotions” are in the middle.

In long blocks of text, readers recall the beginning and end better. Place important messages, offers, or CTAs at the start or end of a page or paragraph

Form Inputs & Controls Tiny checkboxes, radio buttons, or dropdown arrows cause mis-taps, use larger checkboxes and radio buttons so that it is easier for users.

E-Commerce

Bad: “Add to Cart” is a tiny link buried under product details.

Good: Big, bold “Add to Cart” button directly next to product image/price.

Footer Links: A site with 30+ footer links creates friction. Prioritizing the most-used ones (Privacy, Contact, Careers) makes scanning easier.

Registration Forms: Asking for 20 fields at once (name, email, phone, DOB, address, preferences, etc.) creates decision fatigue. Splitting into steps (Basic Info → Security → Preferences) reduces load.

Selective observation: During a session, a designer may notice only when a user succeeds with the interface and dismiss or minimize times when they struggle — reinforcing the belief that the design works fine.

Hiring decisions: A manager who believes a candidate from a prestigious university must be better and will focus on their strengths and downplay any flaws in their resume.

I agree with what Steve said about everyone making mistakes and being able to learn from them

This is basically the idea that items single items grouped together will help grab a users attention easier than when they're alone. This can be seen when you are shopping online and you are looking at an item then receive recommendations of other items that may work well with that specific item.

Spark Effect is the idea that when a task or activity takes minimal effort a user is more likely to interact or take action with it. This is important for UXD because it may help a certain website or app receive more user interaction. An example could be the "buy now with one click option" on Amazon. The idea that you only have to click one button to order something makes it easier instead of having to go through all the checkout screens.

Investment loops help increase user retention by encouraging users to come back by investing time, money, information, or effort into a product and setting specific goals. Another example of this could be someone signing up for the gym and using their monthly cost as a reason to make themselves go.

This seems interesting and I'm excited to try out the differnt tools

Hello