Usability Heuristics

There are ten universally accepted heuristics for usability.

1. Visibility of system status - Display system status and feedback on user actions as quickly as possible. Doing so will build trust.
2. Match between system and real-world - Use terms, icons, and images familiar to users and follow real-world conventions.
3. User control and freedom - Provide users with an easy way to back out of a procedure or undo an action. Doing so will build confidence by fostering a sense of freedom.
4. Consistency and standards - Follow platform and industry conventions so that users can learn a standard set of rules for your product.
5. Error prevention - Eliminate error-prone scenarios in your product, check for them, and present users with clear messages and actions.
6. Recognition rather than recall - Design your product such that users recognize patterns and actions rather than requiring them to recall them from memory.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use - Provide experienced users with efficient and flexible service mechanisms, like keyboard shortcuts or command bars.
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design - Avoid displaying irrelevant or rarely needed information in favor of meaningful content.
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors - Express error messages in straightforward language and suggest a solution. Write error messages with visual treatments to help users identify them.
10. Help and documentation - Make help documentation content concise, actionable, and easy to find.