Guide-Driven and Self-Driven Mindsets

Microwaves are notorious for their cryptic dials.

When you go to a friend's place & pop in the leftovers, you're greeted with a button grid that probably belongs on a UFO.

"Do I click the "Clock" or "Time" button? Oh no, I set a delay. Argh! How do I just start this thing?"

Now, when your friend swings by, he/she keys in the magic sequence to send your food spinning under the yellow party lights.

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‍These are 2 mindsets that every user of your product finds themselves in.

1. Guide-driven: when you're still learning the ropes & need direction.

2. Self-driven: when executing routine tasks comes naturally to you.

User onboarding caters to the guide-driven mindset in the hope users will eventually graduate to self-driven with practice.

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‍Remember: even your power users will move back to guide-driven mindsets when exposed to new features.

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Now, here's the thing.

Exceptional UX short-circuits the path from guide-driven to self-driven mindsets.

Do's:

1. Make onboarding memorable, not just informative.

2. Adapt density of interfaces to match each user's skill level.

3. Get the timing right. Promote pro features when the user is equipped to handle them.

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Making every user's next step delightfully obvious is the perpetual pursuit of great design.

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