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Visible Lifeboats
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The presence of a feature can be reassuring, even if the user doesn't use it.
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Introduction
Occasionally you'll want to over-promote a feature that has very low usage, but reassures the user that it exists if they ever do need it.
i.e., the expected utility is low, but the presence is still reassuring.
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Deeper dive
Imagine a cruise ship, with lifeboats hanging off the side.
Presumably, they could design lifeboats that nestled discreetly into the ship. But their visibility serves another purpose: to reassure the passengers that they exist, and are ready to go.
Because their usage is actually very rare, the majority of the collective benefit will be psychological, rather than objective.
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Potential impacts
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"An exceptional resource for learning how to build habit-forming products that people love."
"I’d never met anybody who looks at usability and UX the way I do until I met Peter. Only he’s smarter."
"The completest view of the psychological underpinnings of human behaviour that I’ve ever seen."
"What a nice idea! Christopher Alexander would be proud to see patterns collected like this."
Unlock this article instantly with Built for Mars Premium
Subscribe to BFM+
If features can be coded in minutes, thoughtful design is what wins
- Unlock the entire library
- Create custom UX courses
- Access our AI tools
£12 per monthbilled annually
or, wait for the free stuff
Join the free newsletter
Get the free content when it's released, straight to your inbox, no account required
"An exceptional resource for learning how to build habit-forming products that people love."
"I’d never met anybody who looks at usability and UX the way I do until I met Peter. Only he’s smarter."
"The completest view of the psychological underpinnings of human behaviour that I’ve ever seen."
"What a nice idea! Christopher Alexander would be proud to see patterns collected like this."
Written by Peter Ramsey
Published
Last edited
