I’ve realized it’s much more than just making websites or apps look good. UX design focuses on how people actually experience and interact with technology. It’s about understanding users what they need, what frustrates them, and what makes their experience easier or more enjoyable. A UX designer combines creativity with problem-solving to create designs that are both practical and appealing. In short, UX design is about shaping digital experiences that feel natural and help people achieve their goals without confusion or frustration.

A streaming platform shows a banner saying: “Your free trial ends tomorrow upgrade now or lose access to your favorite shows.” Instead of just highlighting the benefits of subscribing, it stresses what the user will lose if they don’t act. This creates urgency and pushes people to keep the service, which is a direct use of loss aversion.

A food delivery app shows the checkout process in three clear steps: address, payment, and confirmation. Each step is displayed on its own screen with progress indicators at the top. Instead of showing all details and options on one crowded page, the app uses icons (like a house for address and a credit card for payment) to guide the user. This reduces mental effort and makes the process easier to follow, lowering cognitive load.

A charity page shows $100, $50, and $25, with $100 listed first and $50 pre-selected. Because the first (highest) number sets an anchor, many people feel $50 is “reasonable” and stick with it choosing a higher amount than if the list started at $25.

In an online course, the most important resources (like the syllabus or final exam review) are placed at the very top or very bottom of the resources list. Students are more likely to notice and remember them there. If those same links were buried in the middle of a long list of files, many students would overlook them. This shows how placing key items at the beginning or end takes advantage of the serial position effect.

On a photo app, put the camera shutter as a large circular button centered at the bottom of the screen. It’s right where the thumb rests and the target is big, so users can tap it quickly without aiming. Compare that to a small shutter icon in the top corner harder to reach and slower to hit, so more missed taps.

When setting up a new video game, the graphics menu might have dozens of options like textures, shadows, brightness, and resolution. With so many choices, players often take a long time adjusting everything before they even start playing. But if the game only offers a few simple presets like Low, Medium, and High, players usually make a decision much faster. This shows Hick’s Law the more choices you have, the longer it takes to decide.

A student believes they are bad at math. During class, they pay extra attention to every mistake on homework or tests and use those errors as proof that they just can’t do math. When they solve a difficult problem correctly or earn a high grade, they dismiss it as luck or say the assignment was too easy. By focusing only on the mistakes and ignoring the successes, the student reinforces the belief that they are bad at math showing confirmation bias.

If someone believes a certain restaurant always has bad service, they’ll focus on the one time their food came out late or the waiter forgot a drink. But when the staff is friendly and the meal is quick, they brush it off or don’t even notice. This keeps reinforcing their belief that the restaurant is “always bad.”

Steve Jobs is interesting and smart

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