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False consensus effect 0:48
A 48-second explainer of False consensus effect, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive False consensus effect demo
What this video covers
The false consensus effect is our tendency to overestimate how many other people think, feel and behave like we do. We treat our own preferences as typical, so designers and teams quietly assume users share their tastes, tech-savvy and priorities - and build for themselves while believing they're building for everyone.
You picked a side, then guessed how many people agree with you - and, like most of us, you guessed the crowd leans your way. That pull to assume others share your view is the false consensus effect itself, caught in the act. It's the same reflex that makes a design team certain "users will get it" when really only the team does.
