Why do we always push doors that say pull?

Question

Accepted Answer

The Psychology of Design

This phenomenon is known in ergonomics as a Norman Door. When a door’s design provides poor affordances—visual clues about how an object should be used—human intuition defaults to the path of least resistance.

Mechanical Intuition: Human beings instinctively reach out to push flat plates because our brains associate pushing with motion.
 Cognitive Load: In moments of haste, the mind ignores written labels like "Pull" in favor of the physical form of the handle or flat surface.

Why It Remains a Mystery

Designers often prioritize aesthetics over functionality. When a handle looks like it should be pushed, but the mechanism requires a pull, the mental model of the user clashes with reality. This creates a perpetual cycle of confusion, proving that even the simplest objects require thoughtful, user-centric engineering to prevent daily frustration.