What Are Mental Models?
Before we move on to examples, we’ll go through the definition real quick. Rooted in philosophy and psychology, the term mental model is now commonly used to describe human-computer interaction. It describes how the user already has an idea about how something works. In other words, it’s a representation of what the user knows about the website before they even start using it. [pullquote]it’s a representation of what the user knows about the website before they even start using it[/pullquote] Nielsen Norman Group, an acclaimed research institute, has examined the topic in more detail. They emphasize an important aspect of this definition: a mental model is not factual; it’s only based on the beliefs and predictions that come from the user’s previous experiences. Because of that, every user has different mental models. The background varies from person to person. Of course, it’s often similar, but never exactly the same. Now that you have an idea of what a mental model is, it’s time to move on to the main topic: how does this concept apply to web design?How Mental Models Affect Web Design
We use a wide range of digital products every day. Based on these interactions, our brains have developed a variety of mental models for interfaces. This is clearly visible in the case of kids who have been raised using touchscreens. You might have seen a small child that’s pretty fluent with a tablet and a mobile phone, but when you give them a book, they will try swiping too. It’s because they’re already familiar with one pattern and they’ll automatically apply it to other objects that look similar or have a similar function. As adults, we’re just as prone to similar patterns. We’re living with certain beliefs about web pages. Some of them have been with us for years, such as:- Links should be underlined or displayed in a different color;
- The logo of the company is in the top left-hand corner;
- The sign-up button is in the top right-hand corner.



Mental Models and Jakob’s Law
No matter how much you love your creation, you need to face the facts: your users spend the majority of their time on other websites. This is the main idea behind Jakob’s Law, a principle created by Jakob Nielsen of the Nielsen Norman Group. Although it may sound like a limitation at first, this law is not a boundary to your creativity. Instead of being a restriction, it can make your work much easier. Jakob’s Law saves you from reinventing the wheel. You can stick to recognized solutions and focus on optimizing the little details that make the difference. Doesn’t that sound good? It’s like someone has already done the legwork for you. Apart from mental models, there’s still a lot of work to do, from content design to little visual touches.Mental Models in the Redesign Process
‘Better’ can be an enemy of ‘good’. Every redesign process comes with certain risks. Even though you’re doing your best to improve the user experience, every change means you’re challenging the user’s existing mental models. You may get it right, but you might also get it terribly wrong. One of the most prominent examples of redesign fails comes from Snapchat. As reported by TechCrunch back in 2018, they decided to change the whole navigation in the app:



How to Learn About Your Users’ Mental Models
Honest research is the answer here. One of the most popular methods is card sorting. The idea is simple: users see a list of elements of the website, and they’re supposed to assign them to different categories. You can use different types of card sorting for your research:- Closed card sorting – You present the users with given categories that have been established before the exercise.
- Open card sorting – The research participants are supposed to assign the elements into groups that feel right. The difference is that the users create the categories and their names themselves.
- Hybrid cart sorting – In this case, users work with pre-made categories but they can also add extra ones if they think that’s needed.



Kalina Tyrkiel
Kalina Tyrkiel is a content designer and UX writer based in Kraków, Poland. She’s currently working with LiveSession, a qualitative analytics platform for designers.
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