The “uncanny valley” is that unsettling gap between almost human and human. In UX and product design, it’s the moment when something looks realistic enough to trigger our expectations for real-world behavior, but falls just short, creating discomfort instead of delight. Think avatars with glassy eyes, chatbots with suspiciously human typing pauses, or “realistic” micro interactions that feel off in a way you can’t quite name.

ORIGIN

The term was coined in 1970 by Masahiro Mori, a Japanese roboticist. Mori observed that as robots became more human-like, people’s comfort with them increased, up to a point. Then, just before they became indistinguishable from humans, comfort levels plummeted into a “valley” of eeriness.
The theory has since expanded beyond robotics to include animation, virtual reality, and UX design.

WHEN

You might stumble into the uncanny valley when:

• Your 3D app mascot looks just human enough to be creepy.
• An AI assistant uses slang or humor in a way that feels forced.
• A micro interaction mimics physics too perfectly, making the rest of the UI feel unnatural.
• A voice interface nails tone but messes up basic context.

WHY

The uncanny valley matters because:

• It breaks user trust, if something looks human but behaves unnaturally, we start questioning everything else.
• It creates cognitive dissonance; our brains expect certain sensory and behavioral cues that aren’t delivered.
• It’s distracting, users focus on the weirdness instead of their task.

HOW

To avoid plunging into the uncanny valley:

• Dial back realism. Lean into stylization if you can’t cross the valley convincingly.
• Prioritize behavior over looks. Users forgive simple visuals if the interaction feels natural.
• Test with fresh eyes. What you’ve been staring at for weeks might feel “normal” to you but unsettling to new users.
• Aim for consistency. A hyper-realistic avatar in a cartoonish UI feels jarring.

PRO TIP

When in doubt, stop at charmingly fake. It’s better to be delightfully unrealistic than disturbingly almost real.

EXAMPLES

• Early CGI movie characters that looked like wax figures.
• A realistic hand cursor in a stylized 2D app.
• An AI-generated profile picture that looks great, until you notice the teeth.

CONCLUSION

The uncanny valley isn’t just a robotics thing; it’s a design reality check. Sometimes, the most human touch is knowing when not to be too human.

Also known as: Creepy realism gap • Almost-human discomfort • The Eerie Dip