USEFUL
Mission First
Who are the users?
1. Design for the users
2. Achieve the mission
3. Start well
What are the users trying to achieve?
What are the best ways to welcome and orientate a new user?
Be Logical and Flexible
What does the user expect next and where do they expect it to be?
1. Present information logically
2. Be flexible
3. Be helpful
What else might the user want to do?
What help would be useful?
Be Navigable
How does the user know where they are?
1. You are here: always keep the user informed
2. Always provide a useful search function
3. Always provide escape paths
What will the user search for to find what they want?
How does the user cancel, or undo, an action, and go back?
EFFICIENT
Minimise user actions
What is the shortest path to achieving the objective?
1. Do not force unnecessary actions
2. Make it simple but not simplistic
3. Minimize repeat effort
What’s the simplest way to achieve the objective?
How to can the task be repeated with minimum of effort?
Optimise Composition
Where is the best place, in terms of form and function, to place components?
1. Optimize the use of real estate
2. Know your interaction options and standards
3. Know your technical architecture
How can the user interact with the system?
How does the system create, read, update, delete and store data?
Show Relevant Information
What information might be needed to achieve the objective?
1. Show, don’t hide
2. Remember and default
3. Expand is your friend
What information provided by the user is likely to remain relevant for future interactions?
What information can be condensed for clarity but easily shown without requiring navigation to a new page?
CLEAR
Communicate Clearly
What graphic design, visual clues, and interaction standards will maximise clarity?
1. Maximise graphic design and interaction quality
2. Don’t clutter but do fill
3. Give clear text, visual, sound and touch feedback
What is the best way to use the space without overwhelming the user
What feedback would make the functions and status most clear to the user? Is text to voice required?
Be Consistent
What is the user always expecting to be of the same style and in the same place?
1. Be consistent with styles and placement
2. Implement consistent workflows
3. Be consistent with brand voice
What is the workflow the user expects?
What is the tone and style of the brand’s voice to be used?
Be Accessible
What sizes and resolutions need to be catered for?
1. Pay attention to font and control size
2. Use colour wisely
3. Consider multi-lingual requirements
In what situations is colour appropriate as a visual indicator?
Does text need to provide in multiple languages, with variations on language direction?
