Human Psychology in Web Design

One of the things I’ve been interested in for a while now (but haven’t studied academically) is Human Psychology, and the various ways it can be applied throughout the Walk of Life. I think, if I had to pin-point when I first started noticing Human Psychology being applied, it was most probably when reading ‘The Lord of the Rings’, by J.R.R Tolkien (definitely recommend reading, by the way).

And, from then on, I would find myself partaking in the activity of People-Watching. It was really interesting, for a home-educated eight-year-old, when taken on the dreaded-but-essential shopping trips.

However, it wasn’t until my first job (Web Design), that I really had the chance to implement what I’d learned through the years.

In 1943, the American psychologist Abraham Maslow created a theoretical model, which he called ‘A theory of Human Motivation’. In this, he defined levels of importance that reflect how and what humans prioritize, as well as what they require to appreciate their surroundings and achieve personal growth. He called this a ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. It is possible to use his initial concept to create a new one, directly related to web development and the user, putting them into six fundamental points:

1. Accessibility - The website needs to be easy to find on Google (SEO, for example)

2. Stability - How consistent is the website’s content, does it contradict itself? Does the information come from good, trusted sources? Are there References for the source material?

3. Usability - How friendly is the website? Can it be used by all ages? Can those with eye-related issues still use the site?

4. Reliability - Is the website always available? How often does it crash? Will the SSL stop working?

5. Functionality - Are the website’s contents of value to the users?

6. Flexibility - Can the website adapt? Can the user change the colour of the background, so they can read the text easier? Does it have a ‘light’ and ‘dark’ mode, for reading at different times of the day?

Each of these six points are fundamental to a good website. If the user can’t read or understand the contents, then there’s pretty much no point in having it. If the website can’t be found, it is of no use.