Chapter 8. User Flow

How “smooth” and enjoyable users find your solution can often be described as the user flow. A user flow that is not optimal can feel like an eternity to the users as they get dragged through each painful step. Conversely, an optimal user flow can help with time-consuming tasks because users may not notice the passing time. Even if they are aware of the time that has gone by, they might even actually enjoy every moment of it. This chapter discusses how to ensure an optimal user flow using concepts borrowed from research in the psychology of flow.

What Is User Flow?

In Chapter 2, “Perception and Tolerance,” we talked about how perception and perceived time can be underestimated or overestimated. In short, design “violations” ...

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