What do your users really see: the science behind user interface design - Billy Hollis

Visual attention is a scarce resource - users can only focus on a small portion of the screen at once and filter out everything unrelated to their current goal

Avoid bright colors and sharp edges except for warnings - they trigger stress responses and tax cognitive resources. Keep interface colors neutral and subtle

Use progressive disclosure and minimize cognitive load - don’t make users remember where features are or track completed tasks mentally

Leverage familiar shapes and archetypes - users expect certain UI elements (like elevator buttons) to have specific shapes based on real-world experience

The Gestalt principles (proximity, similarity, figure/ground, etc.) explain how visual elements are perceived as related or grouped together

Inattentional blindness means users often miss things unrelated to their current task/goal, even if prominently displayed

Color is perceived relative to surroundings - use color strategically in combination with shapes, not as the only differentiator

Experience and context heavily influence what users perceive - design should align with users’ mental models and expectations

Minimize clutter and unnecessary information - anything not relevant to the user’s goal is just noise

Use translucency and overlays to maintain context while focusing attention on the current task

Consider accessibility (like color blindness) by combining color with shapes and patterns