Prototypicality (Jakob's law)
People prefer sites that look and work like the ones they already know.
Where it applies
Four of the eight page areas.
HomepageAlso applies CategoryAlso applies SearchNot typical ProductNot typical CartNot typical CheckoutAlso applies Post-purchaseNot typical
It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on every page
How to use it
Five ways to use it, and one to avoid.
- Put the logo top left, linking to the homepage, and the basket top right.
- Make search prominent.
- Keep checkout in the standard order.
- Look like a shop in your sector at first glance.
- Keep the first screen visually simple.
- Avoid: centred logos, which NN/g found made getting home fail six times as often.
What the research found
Typical, simple sites are rated more attractive within 50ms. No sales studies were found.
Centred logos made reaching the homepage in one click fail six times as often.
Tuch and colleagues found sites that looked typical and visually simple were rated more attractive within 50ms, and even at 17ms. Roth and colleagues (516 people) found web users largely agree where online shop elements belong. In a 50-person NN/g study, centred logos made reaching the homepage in one click fail six times as often. No sales studies were found.
Key research
Four sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Tuch, Presslaber, Stöcklin, Opwis & Bargas-Avila (2012) The role of visual complexity and prototypicality regarding first impression of websites: Working towards understanding aesthetic judgments Int. J. Human-Computer Studies Read the source Roth, Schmutz, Pauwels, Bargas-Avila & Opwis (2010) Mental models for web objects: Where do users expect to find the most frequent objects in online shops, news portals, and company web pages? Interacting with Computers Read the source Nielsen (2000)Industry End of Web Design Nielsen Norman Group Alertbox Read the source Whitenton (2016)Industry Centered Logos Hurt Website Navigation Nielsen Norman Group Read the source