Hey, don’t press that big button.
If you’ve ever clicked “Resubscribe” instead of “Cancel,” congratulations, you’ve just met Fitts’s Law in action.
In this episode of Marketing Magic, we’re talking about button blindness, the way design uses size, color, and placement to guide your actions. It’s one of the oldest and easiest spells in product marketing, and yes—I use it at my day job too.
WHAT IS FITTS’S LAW?
Fitts’s Law is a predictive model of human movement first proposed by psychologist Paul Fitts in 1954. It basically says:
The time it takes to move to a target area depends on its size and distance.
In UX design, that means larger and closer targets are faster to click or tap.
It’s the reason big buttons feel more “obvious.”
It’s also why apps hide low-value or exit actions behind smaller text or gray links.
UX experts at the Nielsen Norman Group summarize it this way: “The larger and closer an interactive target, the faster and easier it is to acquire.”
You’ve seen it before:
“Cancel Subscription” in fine print vs “Pause Subscription” in bright blue.
“Delete Account” shrunk to a corner link.
“Resubscribe” glowing like a neon sign.
These are small magical manipulations (legal, even ethical if done thoughtfully) but they’re all powered by the same principle: our eyes go where the action is easiest.
That’s the curse of the big button.
Once you start seeing it, you can’t unsee it.
HOW PRODUCT MARKETERS USE IT
Product marketers and UX designers rely on Fitts’s Law for good reasons:
To make “Next” and “Submit” buttons clear in onboarding.
To help users find core actions faster.
To reduce cognitive load during checkout or signup.
The ethical line? Intention.
If your design clarifies, it’s good UX.
If your design deceives, it’s dark magic UX.
THE WITCHY SIDE OF DESIGN
Every marketer has cast this spell.
I’ve built big buttons in my own apps to make sure users move forward, but I’ve also fallen for the same trick later that day.
That’s what makes this fun.
When you understand how people move, you can build products that feel magical, not misleading.
I only slipped one sneaky big button into Reality Rank.
See if you can find it at app.realityrankapp.com.
Then, check your favorite apps and sites tonight.
Where are the big buttons guiding you?
Where are the small ones trying to disappear?
This Marketing Magic spell depends on you moving too quickly to notice it.
TAKEAWAY
Buttons are the simplest form of behavioral design.
They’re not just shapes, they’re signals.
The next time a bright button tempts you to click fast, pause and ask: Was that my choice? Or the designer’s?
Coming next: I really love magic content but I am not a fan of magic links.