Jakob's Law
Design Principles
People expect your site to work like every other site they use.
In practice
Jakob Nielsen's law of internet user experience: users spend most of their time on other sites, so they expect yours to behave the same way. Convention is a feature. It is the argument for standard navigation, familiar icons and patterns people already know — and the caution that every deviation, however clever, is a cost the user pays in learning.
Questions
What is Jakob's Law?
Jakob's law states that users transfer expectations built on the products they already use, so familiar conventions reduce friction and novel patterns add it.
Why do you use Jakob's Law?
You are not designing in isolation; you inherit everyone's habits. Meeting them is free usability; breaking them must earn its place.
How do you use/apply Jakob's Law?
Use established patterns for common tasks, reserve novelty for where it delivers real value, and when you do deviate, make the new behaviour discoverable and forgiving.
When do you use Jakob's Law?
In every interface decision — and especially when you are tempted to reinvent navigation, forms or checkout.
Who uses Jakob's Law?
Product and interaction designers.
