Fitts' law describes how the time required to reach a specific target on a graphical user interface depends on the distance and size of that target. The further away and the smaller the element is, the longer it takes to reach it. Conversely, users can click or tap larger and closer buttons or icons more quickly.

Origin

Paul Fitts formulated this law in 1954 as part of his research into human motor skills and movement control.

  • Fitts, P. M. (1954). The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47(6)
  • MacKenzie, I. S. (1992). Fitts' law as a research and design tool in human-computer interaction. Human-Computer Interaction, 7(1)

Application in UX and UI design

In practice, Fitts' law means that important operating and navigation elements should be placed as large as possible and within easy reach in order to minimize interaction time. For example, the primary "call to action" button (e.g. "Buy" or "Submit") can be significantly larger than a secondary button.

Impact on the User Experience

strong

Further information