The Doherty Threshold: A Key Principle for Effective UX Design
My motive
Welcome to my daily learning journey blog! I’m excited to share with you the insights and experiences I’ve gained along the way. While my perspective may not appeal to everyone, I believe that by keeping an open mind and considering my experiences, you can find something valuable that can have a lasting impact on your personal and professional growth. I hope that by following along with my journey, you will discover how it has the potential to transform your life and career. So join me on this journey with an open and empathetic mindset, and let’s see where it takes us!
Have you ever used a website or app that was so slow, you felt like you were waiting forever for it to load or respond to your input? If so, you know how frustrating it can be to use a system that is below the Doherty Threshold.
But what is the Doherty Threshold, you ask? Named after the researcher who first described it, the Doherty Threshold is the point at which a system becomes responsive enough for a user to feel that it is responding in real-time. In other words, it’s the point at which a user no longer feels like they are waiting for a response from the system.
Why is this important?
Studies have shown that users become frustrated and less likely to use a system if they feel like they are waiting too long for a response. This is especially true for tasks that are time-sensitive or require a sense of urgency. On the other hand, systems that are responsive and feel “fast” to the user are more likely to be used and preferred over slower systems.
As a UX designer, it’s important to keep the Doherty Threshold in mind when designing and testing your systems. By optimizing a system’s responsiveness for the user, you can create a better user experience and increase the likelihood of the system being used.
To give you a better idea of how the Doherty Threshold works in practice, let’s look at a few examples:
Imagine you’re trying to use a smartphone app that takes a long time to load or respond to user input. This app would be below the Doherty Threshold, leading to a frustrating user experience and potentially causing users to stop using the app.
Now, imagine you’re using a website that loads and responds quickly to user input. This website would be above the Doherty Threshold, leading to a more positive user experience and encouraging users to continue using the website.
Finally, consider an online banking system that processes transactions almost instantly. This system would be above the Doherty Threshold, giving users a sense of trust and confidence in the system and leading to increased usage.
“In summary, it’s important to keep the Doherty Threshold in mind when designing user experiences. Ensuring that your system is responsive enough for users to feel like it’s responding in real-time will improve their experience and increase the chances of them using your system. Don’t make your users feel like they’re waiting for a response — aim to design systems that are above the Doherty Threshold for the best possible user experience.”
“Thank you for reading my article on the Doherty Threshold. I welcome any feedback or thoughts you may have on the topic. If you have any experience with empathy mapping, I would love to hear about it in the comments. I hope this article has been helpful for your learning and growth, and I look forward to further discussions on the topic. Thank you again for taking the time to read.”
