Our brain is a very complex and intelligent system that constantly optimizes its work. To avoid wasting resources on constant analysis and learning, the mind turns familiar actions into automatic ones. If you see a keyhole, you know you need to use a key—not rub it with your finger or pour water into it.

The same thing happens when we interact with new phenomena—we approach them based on our past experience. This is what a mental model is: when performing new actions, you don’t learn them from scratch but apply existing knowledge automatically.

What does this mean for designers and developers?

When users visit a new website, they rely on habits formed on other sites. The goal of UX designers is to create a page that feels intuitive.

Understanding the mental models of your target audience helps build a website that is as user-friendly as possible. The visitor doesn’t have to learn or overthink—they can navigate easily and comfortably.

A mental model is a stable yet flexible behavioral pattern that, when used correctly, can guide users toward desired actions. By placing specific elements in key areas, you not only improve conversion rates but also increase user loyalty to your site and brand.

The more accurately we understand user perspectives and habits, the more effective the website will be. And if you build great websites, your value as a specialist also grows. Discover more secrets in the online premiere "How a Web Designer Can Earn Big: Tactics, Tips, and Tricks".

The Curse of Knowledge

One of the main challenges for professionals is to look at their work through the eyes of an average user. Developers have their own habits, mental models, value systems, and user experience. In this case, knowledge can become a hindrance. What seems obvious to you might be completely unclear to your users.

This phenomenon was demonstrated in the show "Silicon Valley" during the beta launch of an app. The team showed their product to fellow programmers, who loved it. But the general public didn’t understand it at all. The mistake was relying on feedback from peers instead of the actual target audience. Testing should always be done with the real end user, not based on intuition or colleague advice.

Ideally, several stages of research should be conducted:

Design mistakes can come in many forms—we even have an entire article about it on our blog.

Cognitive Dissonance

When required actions and design don't match the user's mental model, the brain experiences a moment of confusion. It may not be conscious or long-lasting, but even a second of discomfort lingers in the subconscious and can affect further interactions with the site.

There are two ways to handle a mismatch with mental models:

You can shape or change your audience’s mental model through education. If you believe an element should work in a specific way, guide users the first time they interact with it—using words, animations, examples, or tooltips.

The Scary Word – Skeuomorphism

Skeuomorphism is the use of real-world objects and phenomena to create their virtual counterparts. This allows users to apply preexisting knowledge to new elements without needing to learn from scratch. A phone receiver for making calls, buttons, calculators, icons—these are all examples of skeuomorphism.

Visual metaphors are extremely helpful when introducing fundamentally new features. Don’t be afraid to use them.

How to Roll Out Updates?

It’s clear from everything above that a site needs to be both initially user-friendly and continually improved to make life easier for users.

But it’s not that simple—changes must be introduced gradually so as not to disrupt established user habits, even if the changes are objectively better. You can test updates on a small portion of users first—Facebook does this before rolling out any changes. Or prepare users by announcing upcoming updates. In any case, changes should be smooth and painless, so as not to lose loyal users.

On Innovation and Creativity

Mental models are systems of strong beliefs, but they are subject to change. This is a natural part of learning—civilization itself wouldn’t exist without it.

So don’t think of mental models as a dead-end system stuck in the past.

A common concern is: if we make everything familiar and intuitive for users, will all websites end up looking the same? The answer is no. Here are three main reasons why:

Relying on mental models isn’t the death of creativity—it’s the foundation for it. It’s an opportunity to improve an existing product or create a new one that’s more efficient and modern.

The average visitor doesn’t care about the intricacies of UX design—they just want a product that solves their problem without requiring much mental effort.

Give them what they want, and you’ll get high conversion and profits in return. Join the online coaching course "Web Designer: A Lucky Ticket to Thailand" to uncover more secrets of effective UX/UI.

Apply Now