Have you ever felt the urge to finish a quiz, complete a progress bar, or return to an app because something was left incomplete? That’s the Zeigarnik Effect at work. In UI/UX design, this psychological principle can be a powerful tool to keep users engaged, curious, and coming back for more.
How the Zeigarnik Effect Applies to UI/UX Design
In UX design, the Zeigarnik Effect can be a powerful psychological tool for boosting user engagement, encouraging task completion, and improving retention. By understanding how users think and react to unfinished tasks, designers can create interfaces that naturally guide users to continue their journey.
1.Progress Bars & Step Indicators
Breaking down complex tasks into smaller steps with visible progress keeps users motivated. A simple “Step 1 of 3” encourages users to finish all steps.
When you sign up for Duolingo, the app walks you through a step-by-step onboarding process with a clear progress bar at the top. It shows stages like selecting a language, setting a goal, and taking a quick placement test. Each step is visually marked, and as you move forward, the bar fills up—motivating you to complete the full flow. This smart use of the Zeigarnik Effect helps reduce drop-offs and boosts user commitment right from the start.
2. Profile Completion Prompts
Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or portfolio websites often use completion prompts to push users to fill out their profiles. The incomplete status creates mild mental tension that users want to resolve.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn uses a profile completion bar that shows how complete your profile is—like “70% complete.” It prompts users to add a photo, job title, skills, and experience. Each action updates the progress bar, encouraging users to reach 100%. This taps into the Zeigarnik Effect by keeping the profile “unfinished” in the user’s mind until fully completed.
3. Gamification & Habit Loops
Apps use streaks, achievements, and partial goals to trigger the urge to return and complete tasks.
MyFitnessPal – Daily Logging Streak & Progress Motivation
MyFitnessPal helps users track their meals, calories, water intake, and exercise. One of its strongest engagement features is the daily logging streak—each day you log your meals, the app adds to your streak count and congratulates you.
For example:
“You’ve logged 10 days in a row. Keep going!
This gamified element creates a habit loop, where users feel a sense of achievement each time they continue the streak. If they miss a day, the streak resets to zero—creating mild discomfort and a sense of “incomplete effort.” This is a classic use of the Zeigarnik Effect—the unfinished streak stays in users' minds and motivates them to return and stay consistent.
4.Content Suggestions & Resume Features
“Continue watching” or “Finish reading” features help re-engage users by reminding them of their unfinished experience.
YouTube's "Resume Video" feature exemplifies the Zeigarnik Effect by addressing users' natural inclination to complete unfinished tasks. When a video is paused, YouTube provides a prominent "Resume" button on the homepage or video player interface, allowing users to effortlessly continue from where they left off. This design taps into the Zeigarnik Effect, as users are more likely to return to unfinished content to achieve closure, thereby enhancing engagement and viewing completion rates.
5. Return Notifications & Gentle Reminders
Notifications like “You left something in your cart” or “Your lesson is waiting” activate the Zeigarnik Effect by pulling the user back to complete their task.
Uber – Service Reminders
Uber sends timely notifications about ride availability, especially during peak times or in response to user activity patterns. These reminders keep Uber top-of-mind for users, encouraging them to choose the service when transportation is needed.
6.To-Do Lists & Dashboards
Highlighting incomplete items or pending actions on dashboards gives users a clear visual nudge to take action.
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