Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated

Scarcity

Items and opportunities become more desirable when they are perceived to be in short supply or occur infrequently.

Few principles move humans to action more effectively than scarcity. When items and opportunities become scarce, so too does their general desirability, and even people who are otherwise disinterested often find themselves motivated to act. The cause likely regards scarcity acting as an indicator of quality in combination with a strong preference for keeping options open whenever possible — in other words, when supply is scarce, demand appears high and the option to participate is at risk. The principle applies generally across the spectrum of human behavior, from mate attractiveness and selection (often referred to as the ...