97 Things Every UX Practitioner Should Know

Chapter 30. Use Object Mapping to Create Clear and Consistent Interfaces

Tim Heiler

Humans naturally understand the world through objects. According to Jean Piaget’s work in cognitive development, most eight-month-olds have already discovered object permanence: they are aware that even if they can no longer see, hear, or otherwise sense objects, the objects still exist. The children have formed mental images of these objects.

Designers can leverage this knowledge not only to create more intuitive products by removing cognitive load but also to ease communication with their team and organization. Though UX designers like to think in terms of screens and user flows, thinking of the objects that make up interactions results in a level of clarity that your users, team, and stakeholders will appreciate.

Here are several observations about physical objects we want to remember:

• Objects in the real world don’t typically change, but we might see them from different perspectives or in different conditions.

• Objects have parts and are themselves often part of other objects or categories.

• Objects in a category usually share similar properties.

• Certain parts and properties are more important to visual and mental recognition. For example, you will recognize a person by their face rather than by their fingerprint.

In your design process, you can leverage this knowledge through a series ...