UX law
Jakob's Law in UX design
Understand why familiar patterns reduce learning effort and how conventions shape user expectations.
In one sentence
Users expect your interface to work like other interfaces they already know.
Why it matters
When common interactions behave in unexpected ways, users must stop relying on learned patterns and spend extra effort figuring out the interface.
Applied example
Keeping navigation, search and checkout patterns recognizable lets users transfer knowledge from products they already use.
What to remember
- Use conventions for common interactions.
- Innovate where it creates value, not where familiarity is useful.
- Make deviations from convention intentional.
PixelDojo
Don't just memorize the principle. Practice spotting it.
Test your judgment with fast visual challenges and immediate feedback.
Start training