043Effect
The Anchor Effect
People are often anchored to an initial piece of information.
Why it matters
People become irrationally anchored to the first piece of information that they see.
i.e., in a sales negotiation, the person who first suggests a price has anchored the barter around that value.
In the above illustration, the second option would likely feel like a better deal, because the 'value' of the shoe has been anchored at $900, despite there being a sale price.
What to inspect
- Map each visible element to how it supports or undermines: People are often anchored to an initial piece of information.
- Walk the primary task once with time pressure; note where attention drops.
- Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the product to paraphrase the screen in one sentence.
Common anti-patterns
- Assuming users consciously notice every place where "People are often anchored to an initial piece of information" could apply.
- Dense copy and parallel actions that increase mental effort unrelated to the user’s goal.
- Ignoring downstream effects on attention & interest when shipping this pattern.
Critique prompts
- Where on this screen would "The Anchor Effect" show up as friction or misunderstanding?
- What would a first-time user misunderstand here in under five seconds?