Hick’s Law

What is Hick’s Law?

Hick’s Law (a.k.a. the Hick-Hyman Law) tells us the time it takes to decide rises with the number of options presented. When designing mobile apps—where user attention and screen space are limited—applying Hick’s Law helps us avoid clutter and keep navigation straightforward. Essentially, fewer choices mean quicker decisions.

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Why Hick’s Law matters for mobile UIs

Streamlined Navigation. Too many menu items can overwhelm users, increasing drop-offs and confusion.

Faster Onboarding. A small set of clear actions leads to quicker sign-ups or tutorials—especially crucial on small screens.

Better Conversions. Users who aren’t bombarded with options are more likely to complete key tasks (e.g., check out in an e-commerce app).

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Implementing Hick’s Law—quick tips

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Group or categorize choices

Place related items under high-level categories, so the user only sees a few top-level options at once.

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Progressive disclosure

Reveal advanced settings or secondary features only when needed, keeping the main UI clutter-free.

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Highlight a single primary action

For instance, a bold “Book Now” or “Add to Cart” stands out, reducing decision friction.

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Keep your forms short

Split multi-step processes (like sign-ups) into smaller screens, letting users tackle them incrementally.

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Exceptions & caveats

Pre-Decided Users. If someone knows exactly what they want, a large option list might not slow them down.

Search/Filtering. A robust search or filter system can handle bigger catalogs without overwhelming.

Contextual UI. Some apps (e.g., advanced productivity tools) might need many choices upfront for power users; just ensure novices aren’t lost.

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Wrapping up

Leveraging Hick’s Law in mobile design keeps your user’s path frictionless—fewer, clearer choices allow them to act faster. In practice, combine it with strong visual hierarchy, well-placed CTAs, and short, logical flows to create a user-friendly app that feels instantly comfortable. When in doubt, test real users: watch where they hesitate or get stuck, and trim the clutter accordingly.