We often make the same mistake repeatedly. We look at a problem or an existing product and think, “This can be better.” We say, “We’re going to create something new because the old system is outdated, and ours will be more intuitive because it’s new.” The problem arises when we forget what makes something intuitive in the first place: familiarity.
Consider a doorknob as an example. It’s not inherently intuitive. When you look at it, nothing explicitly indicates that you should turn the knob before pushing or pulling the door. We understand it because we’ve been trained from a young age to follow this process. It’s intuitive because it’s familiar.
The hamburger menu provides another example. What is the hamburger menu? It’s the three lines that indicate an expandable menu on a screen. Everyone who regularly uses apps recognizes it immediately. It’s intuitive because everyone uses it frequently. Yet visually, it doesn’t inherently indicate its function. Its ubiquity creates intuitiveness.
So, how do we make things intuitive? We create familiarity. We replicate what others have done and reuse established designs, leveraging existing user knowledge. Companies like Apple have design guidelines for a reason. They have invested considerable time training users on how things should work. Apps (and Apple itself) are successful at being user-friendly precisely because they maintain consistency. Innovation isn’t always about creating something entirely new; it’s about reliably delivering what’s expected.
However, a question arises: Do you always want something to be immediately intuitive? Sometimes it’s acceptable—even beneficial—to introduce complexity initially, allowing users to learn and adapt over time. Repeating outdated methods just for familiarity’s sake isn’t always beneficial. Occasionally, short-term difficulty yields long-term benefits, though the initial drawback is a lack of intuitiveness. This highlights the tradeoff between familiarity and novelty.
Fortunately, creating intuitive designs doesn’t require uncovering some hidden secret. Time and repetition naturally build intuitiveness. A design may initially feel cumbersome, but with consistent use, users will inevitably become comfortable and proficient.