Summary

The UX Reflex theory suggests that users prefer interface elements, like search bars, to remain consistent with their established muscle memory, as evidenced by the negative reactions to Apple's and Amazon's attempts to move the search bar to the bottom of the screen.

Abstract

In 2021, Apple's decision to relocate the Safari search bar to the bottom of the screen in iOS 15 was met with significant user resistance, leading to a surge in tutorials on reverting the change. Similarly, Amazon's experiment with a bottom search bar for a select user group in June 2023 also faced backlash, prompting a return to the traditional top placement after three weeks. These events underscore the UX Reflex theory, which posits that users develop conditioned reflexes to interface elements through repeated use, leading to a preference for familiar layouts over innovative but disruptive changes. The theory is rooted in psychological principles of reflexes and conditioning, where users' instinctive actions become automatic and ingrained, much like muscle memory in physical activities. While the theory suggests that users can adapt to new patterns over time, the initial resistance to change is evident, particularly when it comes to widely used features like search bars.

Opinions

Users have a strong preference for familiar user interface (UI) patterns, as demonstrated by the backlash against Apple's and Amazon's bottom search bar placements.
The concept of "UX Reflex Theory" is introduced to explain why users resist changes to established UI elements, likening their reactions to conditioned reflexes.
Apple's later successful implementation of the spotlight search at the bottom of the screen suggests that users can adapt to changes when they are less frequent users of the feature.
The article suggests that UI changes should be approached with caution and that new designs might be more acceptable in contexts where users expect different experiences, such as AI platforms or new hardware devices.
The author believes that conditioned reflexes in UX are malleable, but designers must be patient and allow users time to adjust to new UI patterns that will eventually become second nature.

The UX Reflex theory: lessons from Apple’s search bar experiment

The significant role conditioned reflexes play in UX design.

In 2021, iOS 15 defaulted Safari’s search bar to the bottom of the screen. It was a drastic departure from the industry standard because all other web browsers kept their search bar at the top of the screen.

Safari search bar at the bottom of the screen

The move was likely made to make reaching the search bar easier for users with larger iPhones. However, it faced a huge backlash, and consequently, numerous articles surfaced guiding users on how to revert its position.

The users were willing to make an extra effort to learn the tips and tricks to restore the experience they were accustomed to. Apple’s attempt to differentiate its user experience from other mobile browsers met resistance from users unwilling and struggling to adapt to the change.

Similarly, in June 2023, Amazon experimented with placing its search bar at the bottom of the screen. The test was exclusive to a select group of users, referred to as beta participants. Unlike Apple, Amazon did not include a “restore to the top” option, making the bottom placement of the search bar permanent. As a result, the internet was flooded with disappointed remarks.

After ~3 weeks of sitting with this change, Amazon reverted the search bar to its original position, abandoning the experimental bottom placement.

The tests done by Apple and Amazon proved that users don’t like sudden changes. They dislike changes that force them to learn new ways of doing things because they are accustomed to their usual methods.

In theory, placing the search bar at the bottom of the screen makes sense. Phones are bigger now, so having the search bar at the top requires more physical movement of the hands. Users need to hold the phone with one hand and tap the search bar with the other hand. When using only one hand, they have to extend their thumb even higher. This movement is repeated many times when searching.

Placing the search bar at the bottom reduces vertical hand movement because the thumb is already close to the bottom of the screen.

Reflex theory

“Users spend most of their time on other websites, so they expect your site to work like all the other sites they already know.” — Jakob’s Law of UX.

I pondered, “Why do users prefer the experiences on any platform to be similar to others they already know?”. As I researched and read numerous articles on human psychology, I came up with the term UX reflex theory.

Reflex in psychology is about instinct and unconscious actions. It is an involuntary response that happens without conscious thought or effort. Blinking, raising an arm to protect the face, a reduction of pupil size in response to light are all examples of reflexes.

Let’s link reflex theory to the above experiments by Apple and Amazon. The search bar placement was a one-off instance in their app while the user experience for many other apps remained the same. This made the change feel strange, abrupt, and inconsistent. Users were accustomed to the traditional search bar placement at the top but suddenly needed to overcome their ingrained muscle reflex of reaching the top of the screen.

The UX Reflex Theory can be defined as conditioned reflex, where a set of repeated actions eventually becomes an ingrained muscle memory.

Users prefer your app to work like other apps because their reflexes have been conditioned into ingrained muscle memory. For instance, when learning to play the guitar, the finger shapes of chords take some time to get used to. With consistent practice, these finger formations become ingrained in muscle memory. Similarly, with search bars, the action of tapping or clicking the search bar at the top has been repeated so many times that the brain subconsciously moves the eyes and thumb to the top of the screen. Search bars are just one of the many examples of design components for which the users have developed conditioned muscle reflexes.

Conditioned reflex is devoid of stimuli and reinforcements unlike classical and operant conditioning; read more about those in this article.

Apple spotlight search before (left) and after (right). Image source: Apple

In February 2024, Apple successfully placed its spotlight search at the bottom of the screen without much backlash. Previously, it was located at the top of the first screen. Users didn’t show much hesitancy toward this change maybe because it is not as widely used as the search bar in Safari and Amazon app.

Does this mean we need to design components the traditional way forever? The answer is no; conditioned reflexes are adaptable, and with enough repetition, old muscle reflexes can be overridden with new ones. However, there will be reluctance until users become accustomed to the new patterns that eventually develop into reflexes. This approach can be experimented with more in new designs like AI platforms, games, new hardware devices, or headsets, where users already expect different user experiences than the norm.

References used in this article: Is the iPhone default browser bar annoying you? Here’s how to move it Amazon forum “I hate the search bar being in the bottom” Jakob’s Law of UX Reflex in psychology Is the Conditioned Reflex the Unit of Habit? 3 techniques to influence user behavior Use Spotlight Search on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch