10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design

Nielsen Norman Group

10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design
Nielsen Norman Group, April 24, 1994
Heuristic Evaluation, Human Computer Interaction, Web Usability
By Jakob Nielsen

“Summary: Jakob Nielsen’s 10 general principles for interaction design. They are called “heuristics” because they are broad rules of thumb and not specific usability guidelines.”

 

#1: Visibility of system status

#2: Match between system and the real world

#3: User control and freedom

#4: Consistency and standards

#5: Error prevention

#6: Recognition rather than recall

#7: Flexibility and efficiency of use

#8: Aesthetic and minimalist design

#9: Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

#10: Help and documentation

Read the Full Article »

The full article includes more detailed discussion and links to numerous articles and videos, along with full set of references to Jakob Nielsen and Rolf Molich’s original research. While the original article is from 1994, NNg is publishing plenty of current material along these lines.

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