Before reading this please answer this question (even if you don’t read the blog):
Background
One of the reasons, who I got into UX Design in the first place is behause it connects three of my fields of interest: Design, Psychology and working with people. I want to find out more about what makes people click and what drives their perception of a design. Considering unconcious factors that influence how a user percieves a product is an important step to make a product truely userfriendly and human centered. Being aware of these factors and biases can really help to correctly approach a UX problem. Is this a „real“ finding or is this problem due to a bias?
What is a Bias?
First things first: “[A] cognitive bias is the tendency to think certain ways, often resulting in a deviation from rational, logical decision-making.” (CXL) The occurs in all areas of life, there is a bias for almost every area of life, they impact how we buy, sell, interact with friends, think, feel, etc. Feeling guiltier about a certain situation than you should, according to friends and family, you could be experiencing the egocentric bias. (cf. CXL) It’s important to remember that biases can occur on both sides during user research, both the user and the researcher can be subject to predetermined believes, affecting the outcome of the research. Some are already well known like the confirmation bias. (cf. Smashing Magazine)
Impact on UX Design
In UX design, a bias can emerge at any stage, from topic selection to data interpretation, due to influences from researchers, participants, or other external factors. This is particularly concerning since designers and researchers may not be aware of them, potentially leading to skewed results or exclusionary designs. (cf. Clara Purdy) Take a look at the picture below, the cognitive bias codex, the list of biases designers make come across is nearly endless. Everyone can be subject to any of those biases, whether you come across it and recognize it or it effects yourself.
Research Goals
Right now I can’t really tell where this research journey is going to take me, for now I will focus on biases and their effects of UX work. BUT during the researcher for this post, I realized how deep the rabbit hole around UX design and psychology goes. (Study guide for the rabbit hole ;D)
For now, a desirable outcome would be, to create a collection of biases and other effects, that influence people. Since one would have to become sensitive to these topics before they can conquer them. In addition to just generating awareness, there should also be info on why this matters and how to adjust to these effects. In the end there should be a lexicon about common effects, to be aware of and how to combat them. A deeper understanding of perceptual psychology will greatly impact how a designer approaches upcoming problems, to deepen the understanding for actions different users take.
Thanks for reading through my blog!
Leave a comment, if you are interested in this topic and tell me what you want to read about next! ;P
