4 Psychological Theories Used in UI/UX Designing in 2025
4 Psychological Theories Used in UI/UX Designing in 2025
If you have already stepped into the world of UI/UX designing or your are planning to get into the world of UI/UX designing then you have probably heard a lot of technical terms. But the thing is that if you think that a great design is just about knowing colors and theories then you are absolutely wrong. UI/UX designing is also about understanding how the human brain works while using the digital products such as websites or applications. Yes, you heard that right, in UI/UX designing psychology plays a big role.
And especially in 2025, UI/UX designers are relying more than ever on the psychological theories to design and create apps and website which will feel these 3 things to the users:
- Natual
- Easy
- Engaging
And basically no, you don’t need a degree to understand all these theories. So, without much thinking, let us jump into the blog.
Cognitive Psychology
Now, what does cognitive psychology means?
In simple words, it means, understanding how we think.
Basically, this is the base of it all. Cognitive psychology is all about how people think, remember and make decisions. In UI/UX designing, this means we should not overload the user’s brain.
For example:
Too much information on one screen = confusion. But a clean and simple layout = happy users. But designer keep the layout easy to scan, use familiar icons and to guide the users step by step because brain doesn’t like clutter but it needs clarity. Just a simple tips for the users always think, “If I were using this for the first time, would I get it in 5 seconds?”
Fitts’s Law
“Fitts's Law” feels like a fancy name, isn’t it? But the idea is very simple.
The closer and bigger something is, it is easier to click or tap.
Ever noticed how the "Send" button on messaging apps is usually big and at the bottom corner? Don’t think that it is done by accident. Designers place the important buttons where your fingers naturally go. And especially in 2025 where mobile-first design is booming, and Fitts’s Law helps to ensure users don’t get frustrated hunting for buttons. Don’t make users work too hard to find a button. Make the important stuff big and easy to reach.
Serial Position Effect
This one is pretty interesting. It means that people remember the first and the last things in a more better way than whats they do in the middle. So in UI/UX design, the most important items like key menu options or call-to-action buttons should be placed either at the top or bottom of a list, not somewhere in the middle where it might get ignored.
For example:
On e-commerce apps like Swiggy Instamart or BlinkIt, you will often see the “Home” and “Cart” icons at the two ends of the menu bar that’s the serial position effect in action!
Gesalt Principles
“Gestalt” may sound way too complicated at first but it is actually all about how our brain naturally groups things. Like, when you see dots forming a circle, your brain goes “Oh, that’s a circle!” even if it’s not a full shape. In UI/UX, designers use:
- Alignment
- Spacing
- Similarity
- Proximity
to make things feel organized. If buttons look alike and are close together, users will instantly know they belong to the same function, no extra thinking needed!
Now, you will need to know…
How Do You Actually Learn All This?
If you are someone just starting out and thinking where to begin, learning these things on your own can feel overwhelming. The best way to learn under the expert guidance. A professional UI UX designing course in Kolkata can teach you how to actually apply all these psychological tricks in real projects. With proper mentorship, you don’t just learn theory, you learn how to think like a designer, work on real-time projects, and build a strong portfolio.
To Wrap Up
UI/UX designing is not only about art but it is science too. But you don’t have to get overwhelmed because with proper mentorship you can learn these theories and you will also learn how to apply these theories in real world projects in UI/UX designing course in Kolkata. And the thing is that understanding these psychological principles will help you create experiences that users love. Whether you are designing:
- Amobile app
- A website
- Agame — using these 4 theories will help your designs feel natural and smart.
All the best!