Why I dislike the word “intuitive”

People often describe part of their device, website, or app as “intuitive.” 

The problem with this is there are a ton of assumptions embedded in that assertion. When we say something is intuitive, what we actually mean is that it is intuitive for us. Unless you’ve already tested it with representative users, and they all say it is intuitive, you can’t actually say it is intuitive.

This often happens in tech, when a very digitally savvy person, who is likely a digital native, says something is intuitive. It may be, for their demographic. But what about someone who speaks English as a second language? Is it intuitive for them? What about an older adult who doesn’t feel comfortable with technology, or is hard of hearing? The answer is often no.

Not only does the speaker of the word “intuitive” confuse themselves with some sort of universal user (spoiler alert, there is no universal user), but, in so doing, they forgo the possibility of understanding that others might experience it differently. It turns multiplicity into a forced uniformity.

What is intuitive for one person may be counterintuitive for another. It depends on their lived experience and their mental models. 

Good research tests assumptions. What I dislike about the word intuitive is that it is unwittingly used to turn an assumption into a fact, without researching it first. So, the next time you find yourself saying something is intuitive, ask yourself: Have I tested this assumption with users? Or does it just feel intuitive to me?