Jakob's Law: Why Users Prefer Websites That Look Like Each Other

If you open any eCommerce website right now — Amazon, Noon, Jumia — you will find something in common: the logo on the left (or right in Arabic), a search bar in the center, a cart icon in the corner, and a clear navigation at the top.

This is not a coincidence. This is Jakob's Law.

What Is Jakob's Law?

Jakob Nielsen — one of the most important figures in the UX world — noticed something simple yet brilliant: users spend most of their time on other websites. That means they come to your site with expectations built from every other site they have visited before.

The law states that users prefer your site to work like the websites they are already familiar with. Not because they are lazy, but because the human brain operates this way — it looks for familiar patterns to conserve energy.

When someone opens a new site, their brain performs something called Mental Model Matching — it compares what it sees to what it already knows. If it finds similarity, it relaxes and continues. If it does not, it feels tension and may leave.

Practical Real-World Examples

When mobile arrived, designers needed a way to hide the navigation. Someone invented the hamburger menu (the ≡). At first, people did not understand what it meant. But after every website used it, it became a familiar pattern — now anyone who sees it knows it is a menu.

The Swipe in Apps

Tinder invented the right/left swipe. At first it was a novel innovation. Now it has become a familiar pattern and many apps use it — even non-dating apps like job and education apps.

The Logo's Location

If someone places the logo in the center of the page or at the bottom — users will be confused. Not because the logo's location matters technically, but because every website has placed it in a certain spot and users are accustomed to that.

Does This Mean I Shouldn't Design Anything New?

Not at all! The law does not say "do not be creative." The law says build creativity on a familiar foundation.

What does that mean? It means if you want to create a different shopping experience, keep the fundamentals familiar — the cart stays in its place, the checkout is clear, the search is at the top — and then innovate in the details: the animations, the way products are displayed, the recommendations.

Apple does exactly this. The iPhone when it launched was revolutionary, but it still used familiar concepts — buttons that are pressed, icons that have meaning, and skeuomorphic design that resembled real objects so people could understand it.

How to Apply Jakob's Law Correctly

1. Study Competitors — Not to Copy Them

Before designing anything, look at the top 5 websites in the same field. Not to copy them, but to understand what patterns users are already accustomed to. These are the mental models your audience holds.

2. Innovate in the 20%, Not the 80%

The rule I follow: 80% familiar, 20% innovative. The 80% are the fundamentals — navigation, layout, core interactions. The 20% is what sets you apart — the micro-interactions, the copywriting, the visual style.

3. If You Change a Familiar Pattern — Explain It

If you decide to do something different from the norm, help the user understand. Add a tooltip, or onboarding, or a visual cue that clarifies the new approach. When Snapchat created a totally different interface from the norm, many people did not understand it and were confused — and they had to add onboarding later.

4. Conduct User Testing

The best way to know whether your design aligns with users' mental models is to test it with them. Put 5 people in front of the design and watch where they look for things. If they look in the expected places — you have succeeded.

Common Mistakes from Ignoring the Law

First mistake: a designer places the navigation in a strange location to be "different." The result? People cannot find things and leave.

Second mistake: changing the shape of conventional buttons. When a button does not look like a button — the user will not click it.

Third mistake: hiding pricing or important information in unexpected places. The user expects to find pricing in a certain spot, and if they do not find it, they leave.

The Law in an Arabic Context

In the Arab world we face an additional challenge — RTL. The Arabic user is accustomed to certain patterns from Arabic websites, but also accustomed to patterns from English websites. So we must balance between the two.

For example, the Arabic user is accustomed to finding the logo on the right on Arabic websites. But if your site is bilingual — the logo needs to move according to the language. This is a familiar pattern for Arabic users who navigate between both languages.

Conclusion

Jakob's Law does not constrain creativity — it directs it. It tells you: the user has not come to learn your website, they have come to use it. So keep the fundamentals familiar, and innovate in the details that make a difference.

The best designs in the world are the ones that make you feel like you already know them — even if it is your first time seeing them. This is not magic — it is a deep understanding of how the human brain works.