Form & Function
I’ve always thought “Function over Form”. And I still think that if I can really only pick one, I pick function every time. But function will only really shine when it meets the right form. It’s the combo that’s so damn powerful, it’s 1+1=4.
So it’s not “Function over Form”, it’s “Function and Form”. Or more aesthetically: “Form & Function”
… researchers coined this phenomenon the aesthetic–usability effect: the tendency for people to perceive attractive things as more usable. In other words, if something looks well-made, we believe it will work well—even before we’ve interacted with it.
This effect isn’t a shallow bias. It’s a psychological shortcut. A beautiful interface feels trustworthy because it reflects care, competence, and craft. It signals intention. When something looks thoughtfully made, we assume that same thoughtfulness runs deep. That assumption changes how we experience the product. As the Nielsen Norman Group explains, users are more tolerant of minor issues in an aesthetically pleasing product. The design puts them in a positive emotional state—calmer, more optimistic, more patient.
So beauty doesn’t just make things look better. It makes things feel better. And in the case of user interfaces, it makes them work better. People are more willing to engage, to explore, and to persist. They are less likely to abandon a task or blame the system for minor problems. The design becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: it looks good, so they believe it’s good, and that belief allows them to use it more fluidly.