cognitive-fluency-psychology

• Designing landing pages and marketing content
• Writing UI copy and microcopy
• Evaluating brand names and messaging
• Auditing content for readability
• Optimizing conversion funnels
• Creating training materials and documentation

```

Processing Fluency Impact:

Easy to process → Feels familiar

↓ ↓

Feels trustworthy → Feels valuable

↓ ↓

Higher engagement → Better conversion

The brain's rule: "If it's easy, it must be good."

```

Truth and Repetition

| Finding | Implication |

| -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |

| Repeated statements feel more true | Use consistent messaging across touchpoints |

| Simple fonts increase perceived truthfulness | Choose clarity over creativity in key areas |

| High contrast increases credibility | Prioritize readability over aesthetics |

| Familiar words feel more accurate | Use everyday language, not jargon |

Task Perception Studies

```

Font Impact on Task Perception:

Simple, clear font:

├── Estimated task time: 8 minutes

├── Perceived difficulty: Low

└── Likelihood to start: High

Complex, decorative font:

├── Estimated task time: 15+ minutes

├── Perceived difficulty: High

└── Likelihood to start: Low

Same instructions, different perception.

```

Cognitive Effort Discounting (COGED)

The brain reduces subjective value when tasks require more mental effort:

• Processing difficulty = perceived "cost"
• People avoid cognitive load instinctively
• Fluent experiences create positive emotions
• Effort required transfers to value judgment

Step 1: Identify High-Stakes Content

Map where fluency matters most:

```

Priority Content:

├── Headlines and value propositions (Critical)

├── CTAs and conversion points (Critical)

├── Onboarding instructions (High)

├── Pricing and plans (High)

├── Error messages (Medium)

└── Help documentation (Medium)

```

Step 2: Apply the 5-Second Test

For each critical element:

1. Show to someone unfamiliar with your product
2. Give them exactly 5 seconds to read
3. Ask them to explain:

- What is this?

- Who is it for?

- What should I do next?

1. If they struggle → rewrite for fluency

Step 3: Check Fluency Factors

| Factor | Check | Fix |

| -------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------- |

| Typography | Is font ≥16px for body? | Increase size |

| Contrast | Is ratio ≥4.5:1? | Improve contrast |

| Sentence length | Are sentences <20 words? | Split long sentences |

| Word choice | Would a 12-year-old understand? | Simplify vocabulary |

| Visual hierarchy | Is main point obvious? | Strengthen hierarchy |

| White space | Is content breathing? | Add spacing |

Step 4: Test and Measure

| Metric | What it Shows |

| --------------- | ----------------------- |

| Time on page | Processing difficulty |

| Scroll depth | Engagement with content |

| Bounce rate | Initial fluency failure |

| Conversion rate | End-to-end fluency |

| Task completion | Instruction clarity |

Design Problems

```

❌ Fluency Killers:

Typography:

├── Poor contrast ratios

├── Tiny or decorative fonts

├── Inconsistent sizing

└── ALL CAPS for long text

Layout:

├── Cluttered composition

├── Competing visual elements

├── No clear focal point

└── Walls of text

```

Content Problems

```

❌ Content Fluency Killers:

Language:

├── Industry jargon

├── Complex sentences

├── Passive voice overuse

└── Unclear pronouns

Structure:

├── Too many concepts at once

├── Buried key information

├── Missing headings/breaks

└── No logical flow

```

After completing audit, document as:

```markdown

Page/Content: [Name]

Date: [Date]

5-Second Test Results

| Tester | What is it? | Who for? | Next action? | Pass? |

| ------ | ----------- | ---------- | ------------ | ----- |

| [1] | [Response] | [Response] | [Response] | ✅/❌ |

| [2] | [Response] | [Response] | [Response] | ✅/❌ |

Fluency Score

| Factor | Current | Target | Priority |

| ---------- | ------- | ------- | -------- |

| Typography | [Score] | [Score] | [H/M/L] |

| Contrast | [Score] | [Score] | [H/M/L] |

| Language | [Score] | [Score] | [H/M/L] |

| Structure | [Score] | [Score] | [H/M/L] |

Recommendations

#### Immediate Fixes

• [Fix 1]
• [Fix 2]

#### Requires Rewrite

• [Item 1]
• [Item 2]

Before/After Examples

Before: [Original text] After: [Improved text] Why: [Fluency

principle applied]

```

Landing Pages

```

Before (low fluency):

"Leverage our cutting-edge, AI-powered solution to

optimize your workflow efficiency and drive ROI."

After (high fluency):

"Get more done in less time with AI that actually works."

Changes:

├── Removed jargon (leverage, cutting-edge, optimize)

├── Shortened sentence (13 words → 10 words)

├── Made benefit concrete (workflow efficiency → more done)

└── Added relatability (actually works)

```

Brand Names

Research shows companies with easy-to-pronounce names:

• Perform better after IPOs
• Are remembered more often
• Get recommended more frequently
• Build trust faster

```

High Fluency Names: Low Fluency Names:

├── Apple ├── Xobni

├── Google ├── Qwikster

├── Slack ├── Tronc

└── Zoom └── Quibi

```

Product Interfaces

```

Fluent Interface Patterns:

Forms:

├── One question per screen (not multi-field)

├── Smart defaults pre-filled

├── Inline validation (not page-level)

└── Progress indicator visible

Navigation:

├── Familiar patterns (hamburger, tabs)

├── Maximum 5-7 top-level items

├── Clear current location indicator

└── Predictable behavior

```

| Method | Combined Use |

| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |

| Cognitive Load | Fluency reduces extraneous load |

| Progressive Disclosure | Reveal fluent chunks sequentially |

| Hick's Law | Fewer, clearer choices improve fluency |

| Five Whys | Why is content not converting? |

| A/B Testing | Test fluency improvements |

```

FLUENCY CHECKLIST

Typography:

□ Font size ≥16px body

□ High contrast (≥4.5:1)

□ Consistent hierarchy

□ Professional, readable font

Language:

□ Short sentences (<20 words)

□ Simple words (everyday vocabulary)

□ Active voice

□ One idea per paragraph

Structure:

□ Clear headings

□ Bullet points for lists

□ Plenty of white space

□ Visual hierarchy guides eye

Testing:

□ 5-second test passed

□ Non-expert can explain

□ Readability score acceptable

□ Key metrics improving

```

• [Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow)
• [Don't Make Me Think - Steve Krug](https://sensible.com/dont-make-me-think/)
• [Hemingway Editor](https://hemingwayapp.com/) - Readability checker
• [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)