The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers

Have you ever noticed how an unfinished task — or a cliffhanger at the end of a show — keeps tugging at your attention?How can the Zeigarnik effect’s lingering cognitive tension help us design products, services, and experiences that people actually come back to and complete?When you learn to harness the motivational pull of “unfinished business,” you can turn mundane flows into engaging journeys and guide users toward the outcomes that matter. We explore why interruptions strengthen memory, and how designers can translate that insight into progress indicators, cliffhangers, and gentle nudges that drive completion. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE• What exactly is the Zeigarnik effect, and how did a Soviet psychologist discover it? • Why do incomplete or interrupted tasks stay fresher in memory than those we’ve finished? • How can we use progress bars, checklists, and multi‑step flows to leverage this effect? • Where do cliffhangers shine in learning experiences and content design? • When does the tension of “unfinished” backfire — and how can we avoid creating frustration? • Practical tips for highlighting next steps, surfacing partially completed work, and prompting return visits. KEY TAKEAWAYS• Incomplete tasks create cognitive tension that keeps the goal top‑of‑mind until it’s resolved. • Surface that tension: show users where they left off, how close they are to done, or what’s still missing. • Use visual progress cues (percentages, steps, checkmarks) to make completion feel imminent and achievable. • Strategic interruptions — like well‑placed cliffhangers or mid‑flow saves — can boost later recall and re‑engagement. • Balance is key: too much friction or ambiguity can turn motivating tension into annoyance.If this show’s been useful or thought-provoking for you, I’d love it if you would do me a quick favor and let the Apple audience know! I know it takes an extra step—but it really helps new listeners discover the show, and it makes a big difference for us as we grow.Just open Apple Podcasts, search for The Design Psychologist, tap the show, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and hit “Write a Review.”

Julie Dirksen, a seasoned designer of learning experiences and author, dives into the complexities of behavior change. She explores why simply sharing information often falls short in driving action. Discover practical strategies for tackling the knowing–doing gap, such as understanding motivation and habit dynamics. Julie introduces the 'elephant and rider' model to highlight how emotions influence decisions. Through real-world examples, she emphasizes tailoring training to diverse learner needs and reshaping environments to make the right choices easier.

Explore how the order of information affects memory retention, focusing on the primacy and recency effects. Discover why we remember the first and last items better than those in the middle. Learn about the common pitfalls designers face when applying memory principles, and how to prioritize attention over mere recall. Get insights from pioneering psychologists and apply these findings to enhance your design, whether it’s a product pitch or content organization, ensuring your key messages resonate and stick.

Bill Albert, the Principal and founder of Greenlight Idea Lab, dives into the intricacies of user experience metrics. He emphasizes the difference between usability and desirability, advocating for tools that measure emotions like frustration and delight. The podcast explores the importance of aligning design with user expectations, using physiological tools like eye-tracking. Bill also highlights the need for deeper engagement strategies and the integration of quantitative research to better understand user insights, all while ensuring product relevance and satisfaction.

Discover how too many choices can hamper user experience through the lens of Hick's Law. This principle reveals that more options often lead to longer decision times, creating cognitive overload. Learn practical design strategies to streamline choices and enhance usability. When should you reduce options, and when might it backfire? Gain insights on making interfaces feel faster and more intuitive by leveraging psychological principles.

Stephen P. Anderson, a design leader known for the Mental Notes card deck, shares insights on transforming complex ideas into clear visuals. He discusses why visualization challenges often arise during the drawing process and whether effective illustration stems from method or talent. The conversation explores how metaphors impact understanding, and the power of visual collaboration in overcoming creative blocks. Anderson also highlights the role of embodied cognition in refining our approach to concept visualization, offering practical tips for better clarity in communication.

Can you really trust what users say? This discussion reveals the pitfalls of self-reporting in UX research, where memory and self-perception can lead to inaccuracies. Historical perspectives illustrate the complexities of human introspection, demonstrating how people's verbal accounts often differ from their actual behaviors. Key experiments highlight the challenges of capturing true motivations and cognitive processes. Overall, it's a call for blending self-reported data with observational insights to better understand user experiences and inform design decisions.

Larry Marine, a veteran UX researcher and cognitive scientist, shares his expertise on disruptive research in design. He discusses how insights can fundamentally reshape products and markets. Marine emphasizes critical research steps that teams often overlook, which can radically alter design outcomes. He explores the evolution of personas versus knowledge profiles, advocating for a deeper understanding of user behavior. Practical advice and methodologies are provided to align UX strategies with user needs and cognitive science principles.

How many participants do you really need for valid research? This discussion uncovers the often misunderstood world of sample sizes in user testing. From debunking the myth of testing just five users to understanding the power of participant numbers on design outcomes, insights abound. The psychological implications of too few versus just enough participants are explored, alongside methods to determine the optimal sample size based on your research goals. Gain clarity and confidence in your approach to user testing!

In this episode of The Design Psychologist, we dive deep into the world of qualitative research and human-centered design with legendary UX thinker Indi Young. If you've ever felt like your user interviews only skim the surface—or if you've relied too heavily on personas—you might be missing the most powerful insights. Indi joins us to explore how deep, non-judgmental listening can revolutionize your understanding of users and, ultimately, your design outcomes. Together, we tackle questions like:What is deep listening, and why is it essential in design research? Why do traditional interviews often fail to uncover what truly drives user behavior? What are thinking styles, and how are they more effective than personas? How can designers move from interpreting behavior to understanding internal reasoning? By the end of this episode, you’ll see user research—and your role as a designer—through a completely new lens. You'll be equipped to listen more deeply, think more critically, and create more human-centered solutions.Find The Design Psychologist on your favorite podcasting platforms (or share this link with a friend): https://designpsychologist.buzzsprout.com/2395044/follow If this show’s been useful or thought-provoking for you, I’d love it if you would do me a quick favor and let the Apple audience know! I know it takes an extra step—but it really helps new listeners discover the show, and it makes a big difference for us as we grow.Just open Apple Podcasts, search for The Design Psychologist, tap the show, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and hit “Write a Review.”