How to Use Hick’s Law in UX Design

You’ve probably noticed it before: when you’re faced with too many choices, your brain slows down. That’s not your imagination - it’s Hick’s Law, a principle rooted in psychology and now a staple of good UX design. It’s not about being clever or minimalist for the sake of it - it’s about helping users make decisions faster and with less mental effort. In this post, we’ll break down how to use Hick’s Law in your design, why it matters, and how to apply it without overcomplicating things.

Hick’s Law, named after psychologist William Edmund Hick, states that the time it takes for a person to make a decision increases logarithmically with the number of choices. In other words, the more options you present, the longer it takes users to decide - and the more likely they are to feel overwhelmed or frustrated. This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about cognitive load. The more choices you offer, the more mental energy your users must expend to evaluate them - which can lead to indecision, abandonment, or even negative emotions.

So how do you apply Hick’s Law in practice? Start by identifying where your users might be faced with too many options - in menus, filters, checkout flows, or even onboarding screens. Then, reduce those options. Not always - sometimes you’ll need to preserve a few options for accessibility or business reasons - but generally, less is more when it comes to decision-making.

One of the simplest ways to apply Hick’s Law is to limit the number of primary actions. For example, if you have a product page with “Buy Now,” “Add to Cart,” “Compare,” “Share,” and “Save for Later,” you’re already giving users five ways to interact. That’s more than most users will need - and it increases cognitive load. Instead, consider making “Buy Now” the dominant action, and hide or collapse the others behind a menu or a “More Options” button. This doesn’t mean you’re removing functionality - it means you’re making it easier for users to choose what matters most right now.

Another place Hick’s Law applies is in navigation. Think about your main menu. If you have ten items, users may feel overwhelmed - especially if they’re not sure which one to pick. Try grouping similar items together or using a hamburger menu to hide less-used options. You can also use visual hierarchy to guide users - a larger, bolder button for the most common action, and smaller or dimmer ones for secondary actions. This doesn’t just reduce the number of options - it reduces the mental effort required to evaluate them.

Filters are another area where Hick’s Law is especially relevant. When users are browsing a product catalog, they may be presented with dozens of filter options - by price, category, colour, size, brand, and so on. While filtering is useful, too many options can lead to decision paralysis. The solution? Start with the most important filters - perhaps price and category - and let users drill down into more specific options if they need to. You can also use progressive disclosure - for example, showing only the most common filters by default, and expanding others when the user clicks “Show More.”

It’s also worth considering the context in which users are making decisions. For example, a user on mobile may be more susceptible to Hick’s Law than someone on desktop - because mobile screens are smaller and users are often multitasking or in a hurry. In these cases, you might want to simplify your interface even further - perhaps by using a single, clear call to action or collapsing menus into a single swipe gesture.

Of course, Hick’s Law isn’t about removing all choice - it’s about making the right choices easier to find and act on. That’s why it’s important to test your design. Conduct usability tests with real users and watch how they interact with your interface. If they’re spending too much time hovering over options, or if they’re abandoning a page because they can’t decide, you may have too many choices. Use analytics to track where users are dropping off - and look for patterns. Are they getting lost in a menu? Are they overwhelmed by filter options? If so, Hick’s Law can help you fix it.

It’s also worth remembering that Hick’s Law isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. Some users - particularly those with experience or a specific goal - may actually prefer more options. For example, a power user might appreciate having access to all the filters on a product page. The key is to understand your audience and design for their needs. You can still apply Hick’s Law by offering a simplified version of your interface - perhaps a “Quick View” or “Basic Filters” option - while keeping a more advanced version available for users who want it.

Finally, Hick’s Law is just one tool in your UX toolkit. It works best when combined with other principles - such as affordance, consistency, and feedback - to create a cohesive, intuitive experience. It’s not about being minimalist for the sake of it - it’s about reducing cognitive load and helping users achieve their goals with less effort.

So next time you’re designing an interface, ask yourself: “How many choices am I giving users?” And if the answer is more than necessary, simplify. Reduce. Prioritise. You’ll find that not only will users navigate your interface more easily, but they’ll also be more likely to complete their tasks - and enjoy the process while doing it.

In short, Hick’s Law teaches us that fewer choices lead to faster decisions - and that’s a principle you can apply to any UX design, whether you’re building a mobile app, a website, or a complex dashboard. It’s not about removing functionality - it’s about making it easier to use.

Use Hick’s Law. Respect your users’ time. And above all, design with clarity in mind.