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Tanner Kohler

Tanner Kohler is a User Experience Specialist with Nielsen Norman Group. Tanner’s studies have focused on social psychology. He has researched theories of human motivation and learning and applied them to settings such as disaster preparedness, sustainability, and firefighter training. He also developed, taught, and evaluated curricula for thousands of full-time volunteers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; additionally, he worked on assessing and improving service design for the same organization.

Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence in UX Design

  • Behavioral Science, Conversational Design, Customer Experience, Design, Design Theory, Human factors, Product design

Addressing these 3 fundamental psychological needs in our products increases user motivation and well-being. Users will be more engaged and more likely to use our designs.

Article by Tanner Kohler
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence in UX Design
  • The self-determination theory explains how three basic psychological needs — autonomy, relatedness, and competence — drive human motivation:
    • Autonomy: Users value products they can customize to their needs and preferences.
    • Relatedness: Products that relate to users’ needs and perspectives strengthen relationships and increase satisfaction.
    • Competence: Clear and compelling design helps users become competent using the system, leading to positive outcomes.
  • When it’s challenging to accommodate autonomy, relatedness, and competence in a single design, testing with potential users can help determine which need is the most important.
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