Heuristics

Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

Keep interfaces clean and only show necessary information.
Dialogs or objects should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed, it competes and sometimes disturbs its usability.

A calendar app that only shows today’s events unless more are requested.

Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

Provide accelerators for the more proficient users, like shortcuts that aren’t immediately apparent for novice users.

Ctrl+S for saving a document speeds up the process for experienced users.

Recognition Rather than Recall

Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible, and letting them recognize it, rather than letting them try to remember an action they want to do.

A toolbar with icons for formatting text lets users recognize the bold function instead of remembering a command.

User Control and Freedom

You should provide the user with clearly marked emergency exits to leave the unwanted states.

An “Undo” button in a drawing app gives users control

Match Between the System and the Real World

The system should speak the users’ language rather than internal jargon.

A trash can icon for deleting files makes sense to most users

Visibility of System Status

The system should always keep the user informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback in a reasonable amount of time.

A loading spinner shows the system is working on something.

Consistency and Standards

Follow industry conventions, users should not have to wonder whether words actions, or situations mean the same thing.

A floppy disk icon for saving is recognized across many applications

Error Prevention

Prevent errors by either preventing them from happening in the first case or informing the user with a dialogue box before letting them commit to the action.

A confirmation message before deleting a file helps avoid accidental loss

Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

Error messages should be clear and offer solutions in plain language.

Password must be at least 8 characters” tells the user exactly what to fix.

Help and Documentation

sometimes it is necessary to provide extra documentation to provide the user with information about the object and help with completing tasks.

A help center with search and tutorials supports users stuck on tasks.