Notendahætti

Notendahætti is an Icelandic term used in the field of human-computer interaction and user experience to describe the patterns and habits of how users interact with a product or service. The word blends notendi, meaning user or consumer, with hætti, meaning manner or habit. The concept encompasses typical ways users navigate interfaces, perform tasks, and make decisions, as opposed to a single observed action.

The scope of notendahætti includes sequences of actions, frequency of use, and how users move through a system. Key metrics associated with it include navigation paths, session length, task completion rates, time on task, drop-off points, feature adoption, error rates, and how often users seek help. It also covers qualitative aspects such as user goals, decision points, and patterns of exploration versus fixation. Distinctions are often made between intended workflows and actual user behavior, which may diverge due to design, context, or user needs.

Studying notendahætti relies on a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data comes from web and mobile analytics, log files, and funnel analysis, while qualitative insight is gained through usability testing, interviews, surveys, and diary studies. Ethical considerations, including privacy and data anonymization, are central to gathering and interpreting user behavior data.

Applications of insights into notendahætti include informing information architecture, improving onboarding and task flows, guiding feature prioritization, enhancing content strategy, and supporting accessibility and personalization efforts. Limitations to consider include context specificity, cultural variability, device differences, and the risk of overgeneralizing patterns beyond the observed user group.