“A mental model is what we think we know about a system, especially about how it works. Whether it’s a digital system such as a website or a physical system such as a checkout line in a retail store, we form a model of how a system works, and then we apply that model to new situations in which the system is similar. In other words, we use the knowledge we already have from past experiences when interacting with something new.”

— Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski a.co/eBqnGYK