Anticipate.
Mint.com’s header changes based on whether or not anyone has logged in from that computer before.1
On your first visit to the website, no login form is shown (but there is a prominent button labeled “Log in.”)
On return visits, you’ll be greeted with a login form, saving you a step.
I love this solution. It’s optimal in a way most users will never notice. (Note nothing is even rearranged, so muscle memory is preserved, even if the relevant cookie is missing.) It reduces both clicks & clutter, in different situations — without taking away any functionality whatsoever.
In what other cases can we anticipate user actions and optimize accordingly?
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Technically, they approximate this with cookies, any web developer would expect. ↩︎