Human cognition is not a neutral calculation engine. It runs on heuristics, mental shortcuts that are fast, efficient, and systematically wrong in predictable ways. A cognitive bias is a repeatable error in thinking that arises from these shortcuts. Kahneman and Tversky's decades of research, culminating in "Thinking, Fast and Slow" (2011), established that biases are not noise in an otherwise rational system. They are structural features of how human cognition operates. Designers work with users who have these biases, not despite them.
Cognitive Bias
Understanding the mental shortcuts that shape every user decision
A
Designers Academy
19 February 2025 · 6 min read
UXPrinciples
In brief
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking caused by mental shortcuts, influencing every user decision and requiring designers to create products with awareness of these inherent human cognitive patterns.
