Consider an example closer to home: you wouldn’t spend hours looking for a fork or spoon in your kitchen, would you? Why not? Because they’re in the same place they were last week …and the week before that. It’s logical. You don’t think, you just do. In a way, consistency makes our routine tasks subconscious ones.
Definr’s defines consistency as:
- 1. Logical coherence and accordance.
- 2. A harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts.
Users should feel the same way when they visit your site—at home. They shouldn’t have to spend a long time finding what they’re looking for. A consistent website is predictable and therefore learnable. After a while, users will find the information that they’re searching for effortlessly.
I can’t agree more. Consistency builds trust and makes an app feel like its faster. Be willing to make things happen the same way every time. Leave the easter eggs and fun stuff to another part of your app!