Jakob's Law: Don't Reinvent the UI Wheel
Users spend most of their time on other sites, so they expect yours to work like everything else they already know. Leverage familiar patterns for navigation, icons, and workflows.
Why it exists
Users experience the web as a single, interconnected ecosystem, not a collection of isolated islands. Their time spent on thousands of other sites builds a powerful set of expectations. Jakob's Law was created to explain why designs that deviate from these established conventions often fail, as they ignore the user's cumulative experience.
The mental model
Think of your website like a rental car. You expect the steering wheel, pedals, and turn signals to be in familiar places, regardless of the make or model. If a manufacturer decided to swap the brake and accelerator pedals for creative reasons, it would be confusing and dangerous. Users expect to operate your site without needing a new instruction manual.
How it works
By adhering to common design patterns, you leverage users' existing mental models. A magnifying glass icon means 'search.' A shopping cart in the top-right corner holds selected items. Blue, underlined text is a link. This consistency makes an interface feel intuitive, reducing the cognitive load required to use it. Users can focus on what they want to accomplish (their goal) instead of how to accomplish it (learning your UI).
When to use it
Apply this principle to the fundamental, task-oriented parts of your interface. This includes e-commerce checkout flows, navigation placement, form layouts, and standard iconography. It is most critical for common user workflows where people have a clear goal and a low tolerance for friction, like finding information or making a purchase.
When not to use it
Jakob's Law is not an argument for all websites to look identical. It's a guideline for interaction patterns, not a straitjacket for visual design or branding. Feel free to innovate in your brand's aesthetics, content, and unique features. The law cautions against reinventing the functional 'plumbing' of the user experience, not the 'paint.' If you have a genuinely better way to solve a problem, you can introduce a new pattern, but be aware that it comes with a high learning cost for your users.
One canonical example
The e-commerce shopping cart. Across the web, a small cart or bag icon, typically in the top-right corner, represents the user's selected items. Users instinctively know its function. A site that calls it a "My Products" and places it in the footer creates unnecessary friction. Amazon's success is built in part on standardizing and relentlessly optimizing this familiar flow.
Interview question
According to Jakob's Law, when might a designer be justified in introducing a novel UI pattern that deviates from established conventions?
- a.To differentiate the product from competitors by offering a completely unique user experience.
- b.When the new pattern enhances the website's unique brand identity and visual appeal.
- c.If the new pattern provides a demonstrably superior solution to a specific user problem, acknowledging the learning curve.Correct
- d.When the target users are experienced with technology and open to learning new interaction models.
Why? this is the answer
The card states that a new pattern is acceptable 'If you have a genuinely better way to solve a problem, you can introduce a new pattern, but be aware that it comes with a high learning cost for your users.' Option B is incorrect because Jakob's Law allows for innovation in visual design and branding, but cautions against reinventing fundamental interaction patterns for aesthetic reasons alone.
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