Lesson 3 - Usability Heuristics Flashcards
What are usability heuristics?
Usability heuristics are general principles or guidelines (rules of thumb) that designers and usability experts use to assess and enhance the user-friendliness and overall usability of products like websites and applications.
What are Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics?
Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics are a set of principles for user interface design that help improve usability and user experience.
What is meant by ‘User Control and Freedom’ in usability heuristics?
User Control and Freedom’ means that users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked ‘emergency exit’ to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue.
How does ‘Consistency and Standards’ contribute to usability?
Consistency and Standards’ contributes to usability by ensuring that users do not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing, which enhances predictability and usability.
What is the importance of informing users about a system’s current state?
Informing users about a system’s current state ensures that they can always see the system’s status, understand its current state, and receive immediate feedback on their actions.
How does timely feedback affect user decision making?
Timely feedback translates to better decision making, as people strive for predictability and control.
What is the purpose of ‘Error Prevention’ in usability design and how can it be implemented?
‘Error Prevention’ aims to eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action. This can be implemented through input validation, confirmation dialogs, and allowing users to review their selections before finalizing actions.
What does ‘Recognition Rather than Recall’ suggest for user interfaces, and can you provide examples?
‘Recognition Rather than Recall’ suggests that interfaces should minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. Examples include using icons or images to represent functions, dropdown menus that display options, and tooltips that provide immediate information about a feature.
What is the significance of ‘Flexibility and Efficiency of Use’ in interface design, and how can it support both novice and experienced users?
‘Flexibility and Efficiency of Use’ allows both inexperienced and experienced users to tailor frequent actions, enhancing the overall efficiency of the interface. This can be achieved through customization options, keyboard shortcuts, and providing multiple ways to complete a task.
What is the focus of aesthetic and minimalist design?
Aesthetic and minimalist design focuses on simplicity, clarity, and visual appeal while minimizing unnecessary elements.
How do tooltips and contextual help assist users in understanding and recovering from errors?
Tooltips provide immediate, contextual information about a feature when a user hovers over it, offering instant guidance. They can also provide additional context or guidance when users hover over an error message, helping them understand how to fix the issue.
How can visual cues help users recognize and handle errors?
Visual cues, such as icons or color coding, highlight errors and draw attention to areas that need correction. Highlighting the field with an error in red and displaying an icon next to it can help users quickly recognize where the error occurred.
What should clear error messages provide?
Clear error messages should provide specific and easy-to-understand explanations of what went wrong and suggest how to fix it.
How does aesthetic and minimalist design improve user experience?
By reducing clutter, it helps users focus on important content and tasks, making navigation easier.
How can systems assist users in diagnosing errors effectively?
By providing suggestions or troubleshooting steps, such as ‘Check your internet connection’ when a user cannot connect to a service.
