Accessible User Interface Design

Jakob's Law[2]

Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. Design for patterns for which users are accustomed.

Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design[1]

1. Visibility of System Status: Keep users informed.
2. Match Between the System and the Real World: The design should speak the users' language.
3. User Control and Freedom: Give users an "emergency exit" to leave an unwanted action without having to go through an extended process.
4. Consistency and Standards: Use the same words for the same things, follow conventions (see Jakob's law[2]).
5. Error Prevention: Eliminate error-prone conditions or present confirmation for users and let them know that where they are going is error-prone.
6. Recognition Rather than Recall: Information required to use the design (e.g. field labels or menu items) should be visible or easily retrievable when needed.
7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use: Allow users to tailor and customize frequent actions.
8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: Interfaces should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed.
9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors: Precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
10. Help and Documentation: It’s best if the system doesn’t need any additional explanation. Otherwise, provide documentation.

References

1. 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design
2. Jakob's Law

Last modified: 202403121506