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erdostom/human_factors.mdown

Created March 31, 2020 14:39
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Rules of Thumb For UX
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human_factors.mdown

Rules of Thumb For UX

These rules are more than 20 years old, but as valid as ever. Some things change. The way humans think, doesn't.

  • Know thy user, and YOU are not thy user.
  • Things that look the same should act the same.
  • Everyone makes mistakes, so every mistake should be fixable.
  • The information for the decision needs to be there when the decision is needed.
  • Error messages should actually mean something to the user, and tell the user how to fix the problem.
  • Every action should have a reaction.
  • Don't overload the user's buffers.
  • Consistency, consistency, consistency.
  • Minimize the need for a mighty memory.
  • Keep it simple.
  • The more you do something, the easier it should be to do.
  • The user should always know what is happening.
  • The user should control the system. The system shouldn't control the user. The user is the boss, and the system should show it.
  • The idea is to empower the user, not speed up the system.
  • Eliminate unnecessary decisions, and illuminate the rest.
  • If I made an error, let me know about it before I get into REAL trouble.
  • The best journey is the one with the fewest steps. Shorten the distance between the user and their goal.
  • The user should be able to do what the user wants to do.
  • Things that look different should act different.
  • You should always know how to find out what to do next.
  • Don't let people accidentally shoot themselves.
  • Even experts are novices at some point. Provide help.
  • Design for regular people and the real world.
  • Keep it neat. Keep it organized.
  • Provide a way to bail out and start over.
  • The fault is not in thyself, but in thy system.
  • If it is not needed, it's not needed.
  • Color is information.
  • Everything in its place, and a place for everything.
  • The user should be in a good mood when done.
  • If I made an error, at least let me finish my thought before I have to fix it.
  • Cute is not a good adjective for systems.
  • Let people shape the system to themselves, and paint it with their own personality.
  • Follow platform conventions.
  • The system status (i.e., what's going on should always be visible.
  • The system should speak the users' language, following real-world conventions.
  • To know the system is to love it.
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