The desktop computer hasn’t changed much in the last 30 years. It’s still built on windows, folders and mouse input. But we have changed. We now use smartphones and tablets most of the time, since they are much easier to use.
The traditional desktop computer is struggling to adapt the simple interfaces of mobile devices while also keeping its focus on productivity. With people switching to mobile devices for mundane tasks, we have the opportunity to rethink the desktop computer with a focus on getting professional work done.
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1. Consistency and standards
Interface designers should ensure that terminology is maintained across similar platforms. For example, there must be no ambiguity in wording so that users are certain words, actions and situations represent the same thing.
2. Visibility of system status
Users should always be informed of system operations with easy to understand status reports given in reasonable time.
3. System match to the real world
Designers should endeavour to mirror the type of language, phraseology and concepts users may find in the real world as opposed to ‚tech-speak‘. Presenting information in logical order and piggybacking on expectations users may have formed during real-world interactions will reduce cognitive strain and make systems easier to use.
4. User control and freedom
Offer users a digital space where backward steps are possible, including undoing and redoing previous actions.
5. Error prevention
Wherever possible, design systems so that the number of possible errors is kept to a minimum. Like this users are not called upon to detect and remedy problems, which may on occasion be beyond their level of expertise. Eliminating or flagging actions that may result in errors are two possible means of achieving error prevention.
6. Recognition rather than recall
Maintain task-relevant information within the display whilst users are carrying out actions so that cognitive load is minimised. Due to the limitations of short-term memory designers should ensure users do not have to remember information across parts of the dialogue. Keeping such information visible or offering easy means of retrieving this information is essential.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
With increased use comes demand for less interactions that allow faster navigation. This can be achieved by using abbreviations, function keys, hidden commands and macro facilities. Users should be able to customise or tailor the interface to suit their needs so that frequent actions can be achieved through more convenient means.
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Keep clutter in the goal space to a minimum. All unnecessary information competes for the user’s limited attentional resources, which could inhibit retrieval of relevant information. Therefore, the display must be reduced to only the necessary components for the current tasks, whilst providing clearly visible and unambiguous means of navigating to more specific information, tasks, actions or any other content.
9. Help users recognise, diagnose and recover from errors
Designers should assume users are unaware of technical terminology so error messages should be expressed in plain language to bring problems to the user’s attention and solutions should be worded to ensure nothing gets lost in translation.
10. Help and documentation
Although the ideal is for users to navigate the system without having to resort to documentation, it may, at times be necessary. When users require help, ensure it is easily located, specific to the task at hand, worded so as to guide them through the necessary steps and not too long-winded.
Origin
Jakob Nielsen and Rolf Molich originally developed these heuristics for the evaluation of user interfaces in 1990. However, in 1994 Nielsen refined these heuristics based on a factor analysis of 249 usability problems to derive a set of heuristics with maximum explanatory power; these are the heursitics listed above.
There is considerable overlap between Nielsen and Holich’s heuristics and Ben Sheiderman’s ‚eight golden rules‘.
Critique
Like Ben Shneiderman, Jakob Nielsen has faced criticism from some graphic designers as they feel he has failed to balance the relative importance of user experience considerations, such as typography, readability, visual cues for hierarchy and importance, and eye appeal.
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Ben Shneiderman’s ‚Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design‘ are valuable guidelines when you want to design great, productive and frustration-free user interfaces.
Ben Shneiderman (born August 21, 1947) is an American computer scientist, and professor for Computer Science at the University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park. He conducts fundamental research in the field of human-computer interaction, developing new ideas, methods, and tools such as the direct manipulation interface, and his eight valuable rules of design.
The ‚Eight Golden Rules‘ of Interface Design
Strive for consistency
Similar sequences of actions should have similar terminology in prompts, actions, menus, help and commands. Standardising the way information is conveyed, ensures users are able to apply knowledge from one instance to another; without the need to learn new representations for the same actions across different pages, windows, panels etc. Consistency performs an important role by helping users become familiar with the digital landscape so they can perform goal-based actions with confidence.
Enable frequent users to use shortcuts
With increased use comes the demand for quicker methods of achieving goals. The user wants to interact less but achieve the same effect. For example, the user interface might employ abbreviations, function keys, hidden commands and macro facilities so, as the user becomes more experienced, they can navigate and operate the user interface in the shortest possible time, but still with the highest level of accuracy.
Offer informative feedback
For every action there should be system feedback. This feedback should be proportional to the seriousness of the action, with minor incidents flagged by undisruptive feedback and major system events indicated by eye-grabbing feedback, such as serious error messages.
Design dialogue to yield closure
Action sequences should be teleological i.e. leading to an ultimate goal or satisfying conclusion. These sequences should be organised in to groups that satisfy the human inclination for task paths with a beginning, middle and end. When the dialogue is complete this should be clearly indicated so that users know they can proceed to their next goal, or whether they must revise, revisit or return to their previous action.
Offer simple error handling
Systems should be designed to be as fool-proof as possible so the scope for for serious user error is eradicated or, at the very least, stringently controlled. When unavoidable errors occur, ensure users are provided with sufficient information to detect and solve the problem through simple, clear intuitive means.
Permit easy reversal of actions
Designers should aim to offer users satisfying means of reversing their actions. Many users are anxious about using systems because they fear causing an irreversible problem; avoid this anxiety by allowing users to backtrack. This should be permitted at various points along an action path whether after a single action, a data entry or a whole sequence of actions.
Support internal locus of control
This refers to giving users the sense that they are in full control of events occurring in the digital space. Supporting the development of an internal locus of control is achieved by ensuring users are the initiators of actions in the virtual space, as opposed to reducing their involvement to system response. The concept has formed the basis of personality studies since Julian B. Rotter (1954), a prominent American psychologist, helped develop our understanding of an internal vs external locus of control.
Reduce short-term memory load
Human attentional resources are limited and we are only capable of maintaining around five items in our short-term memory at one time. Therefore, interfaces should be as simple as possible with information condensed, categorised and as much help offered to memorise and become au fait with system operations when users navigate through the digital space.
These 8 rules were obtained from Shneiderman’s popular book „Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction“. His book provides a broad survey of designing, implementing, managing, maintaining, training, and refining the user interface of interactive systems.
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