The Psychology Behind the Choices We Make as Users

I often stop and wonder: Why do people click one thing over another, sometimes even when it seems weird? Why do we settle for “ok enough” instead of chasing perfect? Turns out, there’s a lot more going on in the background of our choices than we usually notice.

In this piece, I’ll walk you through some of the mental shortcuts (heuristics) we all use, and then dig into what we as designers can do to be smarter about them.

Heuristics: Our Brain’s Shortcuts

We use heuristics all the time. They’re mental shortcuts that speed up decision-making so we don’t get stuck analyzing everything. Especially when we’re on a device, scrolling fast, under time pressure. 

Here are some of the most common ones:

Satisficing
We don’t always pick the best option. We pick one that’s “good enough.” 

Loss Aversion
Losing something feels worse than gaining something of equal value feels good. So we try harder to avoid loss.

Availability
What’s easiest to recall or see often dominates our thinking. If something pops to mind, we trust it more.

Decision Fatigue
After making many decisions, our brain gets tired. The later in a sequence, the worse our choices tend to be. ]

Reference Dependence
We don’t judge absolute values; we compare. If you see two options side by side, your choice depends on how they relate.

Status Quo Bias
Without good reason, people often stick with defaults or what’s already set. Change meets resistance.

Hick’s Law
The more options you have, the harder it gets to choose. Too many things slow us down. 

So What Do We, as Designers, Do With This?

Knowing these isn’t just academic. We can use them to make better design decisions, nudges, really.

Here are some practical moves:

• Count the decisions per page (DPP)

  List all the things a user could do on a screen. If it’s too many, it’s overwhelming. Trim, merge, or hide some. 

• Reduce visual noise

  Too many colors, fonts, or animations can distract or confuse. Use restraint. Let things breathe. 

• Make sensible defaults

  Many users won’t change settings or dig into “advanced” options. So default options should do well enough for most. 

• Guide priorities

  You know what’s more important in a screen (calls to action, primary flows). Emphasize those visually, size, contrast, spacing. 

• Mind the post-click experience

  When someone clicks, where do they land? How connected is that next screen to what they expect? Make sure the flow feels continuous, not jarring. 

• Use headings, bullets, microcopy

  Since people scan, use structure that communicates quickly. Don’t make them dig. 

• When in doubt, test it

  These heuristics are powerful, but they’re patterns, not truths. Always check with real users. 

My Take

I like thinking of this as design empathy + pattern awareness. We don’t control people’s brains, but we can respect how they operate. When you build with these mental shortcuts in mind, you remove friction, reduce surprises, and make interactions feel more natural.

Next time you build a screen, map out all the choices it presents. Ask: how many heuristics are in play here? Where can I help the user without them even noticing?

That’s when things start feeling a little more human.