One of the biggest challenges for designers is the creation of a user interface design that satisfies the needs of the target audience. The crux is that a handful of specialists get the grasp of how to savvily build the interaction with the users so that they enjoy the interface without arduous work.
What is the Mental Model?
In brief, this is the initial knowledge we gain about the product. Imagine picking up wireless headphones for the first time. We opened the case, took out AirPods or other earbuds, and scrutinize the gizmos for a few minutes. Even those who have never had anything to do with the devices will get the gist about their features. A person may not be aware of the automatic start and stop of playback when removing the earbuds from the ear, but he clearly understands the main task the gadget is solving. This is the power of mental models. They act as a navigator in unfamiliar terrain.
Patterns
On the one hand, impressions, hypotheses, and emotions form the basis of a mental model, which creates a specific set of patterns. Thus, the user understands the features of the tool based on the rules existing in his mind. For example, when browsing through the web offering students help with writing tasks users can see the bottom “write my essay” highlighted in the right place, they are satisfied. If the process is without significant hurdles, then the target audience considers the mental model of the product as ideal. Alternatively, if the mental model of the product and the mental model of the user contradict one another dissonance appears. And this is the red flag for the clients’ loyalty.
User Experience
Everyone is familiar with the stress of an unpleasant first impression of a product. You stumble at literally every step: you have a problem with creating an account or applying for a connection to a loyalty program. The chances are that people won’t want to waste their time on a product that does not correspond to their ideas. Every skip-up is a blow to the reputation of the product and the manufacturing company.
Assumptions
However, mental models are based not only on established patterns but also on assumptions. For example, if the user has never installed a bank application before, he still understands what to expect. He knows there might be available cards in the interface, there will be a chat-box for contacting the support manager, and there will be an option of sending a transfer. Now imagine that none of this is in the application. You can either use the site and the application simultaneously or make the application the main tool and refuse useful functions. In such cases, users will choose the third option – going to competitors.
Mental Models and design
Many novice designers reckon that inventing an interface is a piece of cake. Analyzing the competitors, choosing high-quality typography, drawing illustrations, and you got yourself a deal. In reality, though, usability comes first. If users do not understand how to create an account or they find the sequence of actions confusing, harmonious typography will not save the company from a wave of negativity. Thus, the specialist who designs the interface grapples with a global task to create the shortest path from familiarizing the users with the product to solving their problems. It is preferable that in the process of immersion in the UI, the potential clients have the feeling that there is no contrast with their visions.
Many designers think less of mental models. As a result, they do not meet required standards, and the owner of the digital product is left empty-handed. He invested time and resources on a tool that turned out to be useless for the business.
What tasks does it solve?
The mental model is a cornerstone for both commercial and information products. If someone says that an app designed for entertainment should only contain interesting content, don’t listen to it. Usability affects the UX the most since users will forgive minor mistakes if the product solves their pains. Few people are enthusiastic about sacrificing their time to find the function they want. It is easier to find an alternative than to understand the wilderness of usability.
How to use Mental Models in the UI?
There are many examples in the history of modern design when digital ecosystems have suffered greatly from a global change in mental models. For example, if a person is comfortable with gestures in the Facebook application, completely disabling this feature will catalyze dissonance.
Expert designers know very niche and create products that practically meet the expectations of the target audience. Classy designers, on their part, are unlikely to fall into the trap of their knowledge. They clear the mind and sculpt the UI from “plasticine” along with the ideal mental model.
Down below there are helpful tips for all entrepreneurs to launch informational or commercial products. If you are dubious about the triumph after the release of the product, use these recommendations.
1. Use “Destroyer” pattern with forethought
It is worth emphasizing once again that it is difficult to break established patterns. Customers would better use solutions from competitors than completely change the way they use functional tools. To motivate them to destroy the old mental model, we need powerful leverage. Imagine that a new bank offers a card with conditions that are much more favorable than the current ones, then the user can spend time engrossed in the application. Or he will order a card via the website if there it is easier. Users are much more willing to agree to change the mental model than to rebuild it. And even for minimal effort, there should be good motivation.
2. Try to avoid dissonance
Ruin the UX design is a piece of cake. Imagine that you have 20 crystal glasses and one small tray in your hands. It is necessary to transfer them in one go to another place and keep all the glasses without a scratch. The task is challenging because one wrong step and the number can decrease. The UX is even more fragile than glasses. It tumbles from any minor flaws. If the “tray” has swayed strongly, it takes a colossal effort to hold it, and in some cases it is undoable. Cognitive dissonance for users is stressful. After all, no one likes to worry groundlessly since negative emotions are notorious for knocking the normal state of mind sideways. That is why designers have to make every effort to create a comfortable atmosphere inside a digital product.
3. Borrow others’ ideas thoroughly
If we spend time analyzing the digital tools that we use every day, it turns out that they consist of the same blocks. Websites and applications have registration forms via social networks, widgets with notifications, and menus. Aspiring designers often analyze references before creating their interface.
They highlight curious solutions and try to create an improved version to beat the competition. This approach does not always give 100% results but it guarantees that the target audience will have familiar tools. There is nothing wrong with copying ideas so long as the prime goal is the comfort of users.
4. Implement changes gradually
A large-scale redesign in services is always a pain for users. Numerous accessible functions appeared on the application after a global update won’t matter. People always find it hard to say goodbye to the familiar instruments and adapt themselves.
For example, Google updated its Calendar a few years ago. Instead of completely changing the concept in one moment, the changes reached the audience gradually. Previously, developers explained to users how to interact with the updated interface and what benefits they will receive. This approach guarantees a reduction in negative experiences. Telling loyal brand followers about the reasons for a massive change will make them feel important.
5. Take the side of the users
Designers and entrepreneurs need to work cooperatively to create a perfect product or take a reputable project to the next level. For this, it is not enough to analyze the needs of the target audience. You should have an explicit mental model. If they understand that the non-standard behavior of the block is the result of painstaking work, and not a whim of the designer, loyalty will increase.
Users need to feel that the product is designed for them. Like a machine that fits their needs perfectly. Experienced dealership salespeople know how to “read” minds and suggest relevant models to customers even before they speak about their preferences. UI designers whose daily work is about crafting digital products should have similar skills. After all, it won’t be easy to succeed in the industry without them.
Mental models are a valuable tool that helps to shorten training time and contribute to target audience loyalty. Use them to quickly connect with users and motivate them to take targeted actions.
Author’s Bio
Rebecca Carter works at StudyEssay.org as an essay writer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Design thinking and during her study developed an enthusiasm for writing articles and guides about the latest trends in the field. When she is not writing, Rebecca enjoys being in the mountains, gym, and volunteering.
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