Mental Models
Mental models are formed through habit. When it comes to products, users’ brains develop certain expectations of how their experience should go. People like to use products that adhere to their mental models. Designers should take note of existing mental models of users to make sure they are delivering experiences that are easily understandable.
Solutions
Know Assumptions
Designers come from a specific background that gives them biases and assumptions of their own, thus their own unique mental models. The field of design also utilizes common modes of thinking that could be confusing to the average user. Even the simplest UI and UX patterns could be challenging to certain populations, so designers should point out the gap in mental models.
Find User Expectations
Investigate people’s expectations of the product. Some features and user journeys simply will not work in a different country. For instance, eCommerce and shopping behavior ranges wildly between different countries. In certain parts of the world, people do not prefer online shopping and would rather browse online but shop in-stores, which leads to different user journeys.