Book Review: Laws of UX

Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services (2nd Edition) is a book by Jon Yablonski about rules that apply to UX and software design. Much of the information, and all information quoted in this review, is on lawsofux.com, a companion website containing a quick summary of explanations and examples of each law. There is also a set of cards with more condensed versions of each chapter.

The book is a comprehensive exploration of UX development and design philosophy. It presents historical hypotheses, but importantly, it’s backed up by modern examples, ensuring you are well-informed and connected to current industry practices. Take the second chapter on Fitt’s Law:

The time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target.

Yablonski then gives a formula for calculating the proper size of an element, depending on screen size and distance to the existing action. It ends with how to apply these laws to your products & services ideas to ensure the entire team is on track with better UX practices.

Pros

Thorough: “Laws of UX” delves into each principle, providing a comprehensive overview, origin, examples, key considerations, and a conclusion. This detailed exploration instills confidence and provides ammunition if ever challenged on a code.

There are caveats and exceptions to each law; these are explained up front and give reasons why we should never adopt a specific way of thinking. Simplifying choices is a core tenant of UX design, “Laws of UX” often stresses the downside of “oversimplifying to the point of abstraction.”

The “Laws” themselves are not new. Still, they are all essential and valuable, from how much information the average human brain can group together (7 +—2) to the speed of animations we perceive as functional (400ms). I will only dive a little into them. Yablonksi presents them in such an excellent and digestible fashion that this is a great reference when questioning a UX decision.

Cons

We dive into implementation a few times, focusing on responsive CSS fluid absence while avoiding any other design tool set. We see plenty of examples of varying screen sizes and devices; however, one area is absent in game development or other applications on devices that do not use a touch screen or a mouse-like cursor. There are examples of VR experiences and non-traditional screens, but with little insight into how they are designed or built, including them, it feels hollow.

There is an entire chapter on how aesthetically pleasing interfaces can help cover up any slowness or malfunctions; I would like to have seen Yablonski dive into the inverse, where a speedy and resilient UI can make up for some ugliness, craigslist as an example. Counter-productive to the purpose of the book. However, Yablonski has a self-aware style that would seem like it would be in the right place.

Overview

This brief book serves as a quick guide for making difficult decisions. It does not provide an in-depth analysis of user interface specifics. If you’re seeking a more design-focused book, “Hello Web Design” by Tracy Osborn delves into web design details for beginners or non-designers (like myself). Nonetheless, it’s an essential addition to any UX library.