Boost User Experience by Preserving the Sense of Control

What is a sense of control? In psychology, lacking control while being moved (e.g., as a passenger) can trigger anxiety and motion sickness, whereas actively controlling the vehicle reduces discomfort. In product design, protecting users' sense of control—guiding them voluntarily and respectfully—enhances experience.

1. Eliminate Uncertainty

When trying new things, users feel nervous and uncertain. Guide pages or onboarding quickly convey the product’s purpose, reducing uncertainty and helping users enter the usage environment faster. After a redesign, onboarding also helps users understand new features.

2. Timely Feedback

Feedback is a basic expression of control. For example, after tapping a favorite icon, a toast message confirms success. Without such feedback, users lose certainty and may feel helpless. Platforms like Weibo improved the experience by adding clear visual feedback after likes.

3. Avoid Learned Helplessness

When a button provides no response, repeated attempts create frustration and eventually learned helplessness, causing users to abandon the product. Providing immediate results or error messages prevents this loss of control.

4. Process Tracking

Tracking the progress of an operation reinforces control. E‑commerce sites like Taobao display real‑time logistics updates, and food‑delivery apps show the rider’s location step‑by‑step, keeping users informed and in control.

5. Ritual Sense

Even ineffective buttons, like an elevator close‑door button, give users a ritualistic feeling of control that reduces anxiety. In product design, features such as a “remind seller to ship” button give users a sense of influence, even if the seller does not act immediately.

6. Alternative Control

Providing an outlet for complaints, such as a “report buffering” button on video platforms, gives users a sense of agency. iQIYI’s complaint feature even shows a humorous message, turning frustration into a feeling of control and improving the overall experience.

Conclusion

Users want to control the whole process and achieve their goals through that control. When control is lost, anxiety arises; strengthening the sense of control in interaction design builds trust and significantly improves user experience.

References:

1. 俞林鑫心理工作室《原来，你那么需要控制感》

2. Saber 《体验设计中的“控制感”》