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Familiarity Bias
People have a tendency to prefer (i.e., choose) products, services and options that feel familiar to them.
Featured in 1 UX Bite
Similar psychology:
Likely impacts:
Last updated: 03/11/2026
How to utilise this in your designs
When moving a feature in a redesign, you could show a note in its old spot for people who reach for it out of habit, so the familiar location still points them to it.
Example from
Stripe
When someone switches from another tool, try offering to import settings from the one they already use, so your product feels familiar from day one.
Example from
Arc
During onboarding, it may help to fill placeholder text with the user's own details, e.g., their company's email format, so forms feel familiar rather than generic.
Example from
Slack
One option is to ask new users which titles they're interested in, then use those picks to frame the value of your full library in familiar terms.
Example from
Headway
Consider changing a template's button label when someone has used it before, so the familiar option is recognised straight away.
Example from
Notion
Possible impacts
Following patterns users already know from other products could make sign-up and checkout feel safer, which may lead to more people completing them.
When controls sit where users expect, people can rely on familiar habits from other products, which might help them finish tasks faster with fewer mistakes.
If users feel confident in a product that works like the ones they already know, they may be more willing to recommend it, which could increase referrals.
Showing new users things they already recognise, e.g., titles they know, could catch their interest more quickly than unfamiliar options.
Introducing a new feature as 'works like X, but…' lets users lean on something familiar, which may make it easier for them to understand how it works.
Written by Peter Ramsey
Published: