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PSYCHOLOGY
Title: Implementing web design psychology
Version: 3.8
Author: Dr. Nabeel Khan
Designers often don’t take the time they should to learn about how basic psychological
principles can effect the experience their visitors have on the sites they build.
But the truth is that they’re neither. There aren’t that many concepts associated with
basic design psychology, and most are relatively straight-forward and easy to
implement, though some take a bit more care and planning than others.
Considering psychology in design process can have a few positive effects on end result.
By considering visitor psychology, TeleMedia likely end up with happier visitors who
are more likely to perform the actions we want them to, whether that’s getting in
touch with you, buying advertisement space, or referring their friends or even sharing
Trust Building
In order for site visitors to do what we want them to do, they have to trust TeleMedia
and trust doesn’t come easily, especially in this age of scams, schemes, and unsavory
To someone who knows little of how the Internet really works, they’re suspicious of
anyone who asks them for any personal information, no matter how necessary it is or
With this in mind, we can use design psychology to make TeleMedia website look more
trust-worthy to the average visitor. Creating a website that puts visitors at ease means
business with you. This can be done through a combination of design and the language
When someone lands on a page within a website, there are certain things they expect
to see right away, pretty much regardless of the kind of site they’re on.
If they don’t see these things, they often feel as if they’ve ended up in some strange
wasteland that doesn’t make sense to them (and therefore, isn’t trustworthy).
Branding consistency
In addition to the general elements most visitors expect to see on a site, there are
often things visitors may associate with TeleMedia company in particular. While this
might not be a concern for a new business, or a very small business, it is a concern for
many others.
Psychological triggers
Psychological and emotional triggers are a valuable tool in influencing visitors to take
the actions we want them to take. Triggers include things like guilt and fear, but also
Color psychology
The psychology of color is one of the more complex subjects in design psychology, and
we’ll not go in depth here, but the colors you use can have a heavy impact on how
Reading patterns
People tend to read in a “Z” pattern on a website, starting across the top from the left
We designed our tools to help generate ideas for new products, features, or creative
solutions to problems. There is no right way to use them, however we found them
If your goal is to sign users up, you will find a series of cards especially useful: Social
and Tunneling are just a few principles that will rock your boat.
Create experience that connect users’ problems to your company’s solution with
enough frequency that a habit is formed. Design your feedback and timing to create
engagement. Cards like Feedback Loops, Kairos, Trigger, Simulation, Tailoring, Self-
Monitoring, and Periodic Events will help you pin point when and how to form habit-
forming hooks.
Ongoing engagement
Use game mechanics like Completion, Powers, Prolonged Play, Unlock Features,
Finally once we get users to sign up for your product, now it’s time to give them a
Rewards, Levels, Completion, Achievements, and Recognition over Recall will help
drive people toward action, keep momentum, and let users get a grasp of all your
Psychology Techniques
Social Proof
Authority
Reciprocation
Revenge
Commitment & Consistency
Liking
Positive Mimicry
Cognitive Dissonance
Reputation
Nostalgia Effect
Loss Aversion
Endowment Effect
Status-Quo Bias
Scarcity
Optimism Bias
Need for Closure
Set Completion
Curiosity
Role Playing
Competition
Isolation Effect
Tunneling
Reduction
Anchoring
Conceptual Metaphor
Recognition over Recall
Pattern Recognition
Limited Choice
Serial Positioning Effect
Chunking
Sequencing
Framing
Value Attribution
Feedback Loops
Kairos
Trigger
Simulation
Tailoring
Self-Monitoring
Periodic Events
Appropriate Challenges
Storytelling
Intentional Gaps
Rewards
Peak-End Rule
Completion
Powers
Prolonged Play
Unlock Features
Status
Levels
Self-Expression
Achievements
Delighters