Mental Models

Summary: What users believe they know about a user interface impacts how they use it. Mismatched mental models are common, especially with designs that try something new.

Mental models are one of the most important concepts in human-computer interaction (HCI).  This article reports a few examples of mental models in user-interface design. Not coincidentally, using concrete examples often helps people understand abstract concepts, such as mental models.

What Are Mental Models?

Definition: A mental model is what the user believes about the system (web, application, or other kind of product) at hand. Mental models help the user predict how a system will work and, therefore, influence how they interact with an interface.

A mental model is a model of what users know (or think they know) about a system such as your website. Users form their predictions about the system based on their mental models and plan their future actions accordingly. A prime goal for designers is to ensure that the user interface clearly communicates the nature of the system so that users form accurate (and thus useful) mental models.