If the name of Jakob Nielsen tells you something, you probably should know what “heuristics” are. In fact, these are some basic rules of thumb (that is, not specific recommendations) for ensuring the usability of interfaces. Our experts decided to specify them, and thanks to this, we got a list of best practices for their implementation.
#1: Create Indicators to Inform the User
Remember: your design should always inform users about what happens within it after their actions. This information is carried out within the minimum possible time through feedback through pop-up windows, a transition to a new page, etc. Also, these indicators can push users to the next actions so that they understand how to get to the final point — the completion of their target action.
#2: No Action with Consequences for Users Should Be Taken Without Informing Them
When user actions lead to certain errors or some irreversible changes (not necessarily negative), they should understand what will happen to the system next and have the choice to change their mind. Below is an excellent example of such a dialogue with the user.
#3: Give the User Feedback as Quickly as Possible
You should be able to prevent situations when users do something in vain within your interface. A typical example of such actions is coming up with a password that initially doesn’t suit the system (i.e., it’s not considered reliable). Therefore, you’ll need to warn them as soon as they start typing inappropriate characters, as shown in the example below.
#4: Build Trust Through Communication
You can ask your users for feedback too, and it will be a good form to improve the quality of the interaction. In particular, some of them can provide you with valuable information about those interface elements that should be optimized.
#5: Drive Users to Action Through Informing
Encourage your users to perform a particular targeted action unobtrusively, as if you were a good friend to them and not a mentor or a salesperson. In particular, if we are discussing an e-commerce project, you can encourage the user to purchase by showing a coupon with a personal discount.
#6: Minimize User Memory Load
Make elements, actions, and options visible to reduce the cognitive load on your users. At the same time, it’s crucial not to overdo it here — the redundancy of informative elements can repel or distract users from performing targeted actions.
#7: Clearly Communicate the Current System Status to Gain Trust
Regularly inform your users about the current state of the system and, in particular, about which items are no longer available. Also, you should allow the user to remove them from the list or leave them visible for later use, limiting some of their functionality.
#8: Provide Timely Help and Prevent Errors
Help your users avoid mistakes instead of helping them figure them out. In particular, you can notify them about actions that may lead to negative consequences or errors. The example below demonstrates these hints.
Final Thoughts
Now, guided by the examples above, you can implement the ideas of Jakob Nielsen in your project. If you want to further simplify and streamline your UI development process, please take a look at our list of tools here.
