We value what we build, even if it’s flawed.
That’s the IKEA Effect.
Coined by researchers Michael Norton, Dan Ariely, and Daniel Mochon in 2011, it reveals a simple but profound insight:
When people invest effort into something, they start to overvalue it, emotionally and cognitively.
This isn’t a quirk. It’s how the human brain works.
We don’t just judge things on utility or appearance. We judge them by the effort we’ve put in. The more we labor for it, the more ours it feels, and the more reluctant we become to let it go.
This matters deeply in UX.
1. The setup trap
Let’s begin where many of us do: Notion.
You open a blank page. You begin building your “second brain.”
Three hours later, nothing is shipped, but the page looks beautiful.
The to-do list is linked to your goals.
Your goals are nested inside a database.
Your databases have cover images and emojis.
Your books have progress bars, even if unopened.
You haven’t done the work. But it feels like progress.
That’s the illusion and the power of the IKEA Effect in digital tools.
And as a designer, you must ask:
Is your product helping users do or helping them feel?
Sometimes the two overlap. Sometimes they don’t.
2. The psychology underneath
To understand the IKEA Effect at a deeper level, let’s break it down into core psychological mechanisms:
Effort justification:
Cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) says we tend to rationalize effort by increasing the perceived value of the outcome.
“If I worked hard to make this, it must be worth something.”
This is why even imperfect self-made products feel valuable. We reduce the psychological discomfort of “wasted effort” by assigning it meaning.
Endowment effect:
People overvalue what they own. Ownership creates attachment. And the act of building something, even digitally, creates a sense of ownership.
“This dashboard isn’t just a tool , it’s mine.”
Self-identity through creation:
When users build something (even small configurations), they project themselves into the product. It becomes a reflection of their identity.
This strengthens engagement, trust, and emotional loyalty, even in clunky systems.
3. Why this matters in UX
This bias explains a lot of user behavior:
Why users reject cleaner, better alternatives to what they’ve already configured
Why feature-rich but confusing tools retain loyal users
Why onboarding with personalization increases retention
Why even broken systems gain fanbases
The IKEA Effect makes people feel emotionally anchored to what they’ve touched and shaped, even if it’s objectively flawed.
So what should designers do with this insight?
4. Designing with (not against) the IKEA Effect
Here’s how to apply this understanding:
Design for early effort:
Let users contribute early in the journey. Prompt light customization like naming a workspace, setting goals, and uploading content. This seeds attachment.
Balance control with structure:
Total freedom can be paralyzing. But when users assemble from strong starting points, they feel in control without feeling lost.
Think: editable templates over blank slates.
Test for attachment, not just usability:
Sometimes the worst usability offenders are the hardest to kill. Why? Because users have invested in them. Your research should explore not just what works, but what people feel connected to.
Handle redesigns with care:
When you change something users have built around, you break more than a feature; you threaten identity. Treat these updates like you’re moving furniture in their house.
5. Starting fresh isn’t always a good thing
Designers often like clean, empty layouts. A blank screen feels like a fresh start, ready for something new and better.
But for users, that same blank screen can feel like something is missing.
"I spent time setting it up my way. Now it’s all gone?"
When people create their own setup, even if it’s messy, they feel proud of it. It’s familiar. It works for them. Taking it away without warning can make them feel frustrated or ignored.
Even a new design that looks better might not feel right if it replaces something they built themselves.
This is why it's important to let users carry over their old setup or choose when to try something new. If we respect what they’ve already made, they’re more likely to trust what comes next.
A good design doesn’t just start over.
It builds on what users already care about.
Conclusion
The IKEA Effect is not just about perceived value.
It’s about meaning.
People don’t fall in love with systems because they’re efficient. They fall in love because they see their own fingerprints in them.
As designers, our job is often seen as simplifying, clarifying, and guiding.
But sometimes, the best UX is about handing over the brush and letting users paint.
Because when users build it, they bond with it.
And what they bond with, they return to.