Heuristics

After reading the article '10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design', I have made a note of 5 tips for web design, that I think will be useful for my website.


1. Match between system and the real world

The design should speak the users' language. Use words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user, rather than internal jargon. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.

Using language that everyone can understand, no matter what their level of knowledge is on the subject that they are reading about, as if someone can't understand what you have written, then they are not going to want to get through the rest of your web page. 

2. User control and freedom

Users often perform actions by mistake. They need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted action without having to go through an extended process.

Making sure that if someone clicks on the wrong thing when they are searching through your web page, they can easily navigate their way back to where they were and can easily undo anything that they did by accident.

3. Recognition rather than recall

Minimize the user's memory load by making elements, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the interface to another. Information required to use the design (e.g. field labels or menu items) should be visible or easily retrievable when needed.

Make sure that everything in relation to a certain topic is all in one particular area, so that it is easier for anyone looking at your design to understand what you have done, without having to keep returning to previous pages to understand something they are currently trying to look at.

4. Flexibility and efficiency of use

Shortcuts — hidden from novice users — may speed up the interaction for the expert user so that the design can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions.

Having shortcuts that the viewers can use, can make it much easier for them to look at only what they want to on a website design, rather than having to go through multiple different pages that for them contain unnecessary information for them.

5. Aesthetic and minimalist design

Interfaces should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in an interface competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.

Keeping the layout of a website design simplistic is much better for the users, as it makes it a lot easier for them to navigate the website and not get too confused when trying to find a particular section. This will make them want to continue using the site, and they will be more likely to want to come back to it at other times.



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