Hick’s Law is a psychological principle stating that the time and effort required for a person to make a decision increases logarithmically with the number and complexity of choices available. In the architectural specification journey, it describes a critical friction point: the more product variants, finishes, and technical configurations you present at once, the more likely a specifier is to experience “analysis paralysis.” Essentially, Hick’s Law—or the law of decision complexity—suggests that excessive choice creates a cognitive load that stalls the selection process.
The absurdity is that manufacturers often believe offering “infinite flexibility” is a competitive advantage. They present an architect with a 200-page catalogue of door hardware combinations and assume the architect feels empowered. In reality, the architect feels like they’ve been asked to solve a Rubik’s cube during their lunch break.
Humans, being human, tend to default to the “path of least resistance” when overwhelmed. If you make the decision-making process feel like lifting wet cardboard, the architect won’t “choose better”—they will simply choose the competitor who made the decision feel easier. By failing to account for the law of decision complexity, you are unintentionally incentivising the architect to specify someone else just to stop the mental headache.
Practical Application & Case Study
- The Problem: A lighting manufacturer offers a high-spec downlight with 45 different beam angles, 12 bezel finishes, and 8 dimming protocols. Their website requires the user to navigate a massive grid to find the right SKU.
- The Result: The perception gap is massive. The architect, fearing the unintended consequences of selecting the wrong technical combination, abandons the cart and specifies a “standard” unit from a rival with a simpler range.
- The FRAKT Intervention: We apply behavioural leverage by restructuring the choice architecture into “Decision Tiers.”
- Phase 1: Reduce immediate friction by presenting three “Curated Collections” (e.g., The Gallery Series, The Office Standard, The Hospitality Luxe).
- Phase 2: Use signalling to highlight the “Most Specified” or “Architect’s Choice” configuration.
- Phase 3: Hide the 2,000 other permutations behind a “Technical Customisation” tab for use only once the primary intent is established.
- The Outcome: By respecting the law of decision complexity, the manufacturer increases their conversion rate. The architect feels decisive and competent, rather than drained.
“Offering an architect 100 choices isn’t a service; it’s a chore. Apply some editorial discipline to your product range—because if you don’t curate the choice for them, they’ll curate you right out of the project.”
