Mental models represent a person's thought process for how an application or a website works. This influences their view on new apps and how to use them. - Why are mental models important in UX? Understanding mental models is important in design because it helps designers empathize with how users expect an interface to work. This allows designers to design a product that follows that mental model. As a result, you decrease the cognitive load for the users of your product, which is good for user retention and any user or business goals you might have. - Mental model examples in UX As a UX designer, it is important to remember that every user has a mental model in place for the designs you're creating. Here's a list of examples: Likes Hamburger menu