Fitts's law
Fitts's law is a model of human movement which predicts that the time to reach a target depends on the distance to it and its size. In interface design it means important actions should be large and close to where the pointer or thumb already is.
The core ideas
The main points of Fitts's law:
- Larger targets are faster and easier to hit
- Closer targets are faster to reach than distant ones
- Screen edges and corners act as large targets for a mouse
- Touch interfaces need generous minimum target sizes
How to apply it to your product
Size primary actions generously, place them near the content they act on, and keep touch targets at platform minimums: 44 by 44 points on Apple platforms and 48 by 48 dp on Android. Keep destructive actions away from frequent ones.
Check your designs with Fleck
Fleck's UX Audit reviews a screen or live URL for usability, accessibility and visual hierarchy problems and returns specific fixes you can apply in the same project.
Common mistakes
- Small icon-only buttons as the primary action
- Placing a confirm button far from the field the user just completed
- Putting delete right next to save
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the minimum touch target size?
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines recommend at least 44 by 44 points and Material Design recommends at least 48 by 48 dp.