Lund, 1997 Usability Maxims
When evaluating the design and usability of a website, one must consider the following
- Know the user, and YOU are not the user.
- Things that look the same should act the same.
- The information for the decision needs to be there when the decision is needed.
- Error messages should actually mean something to the user and tell the user how to fix the problem.
- Every action should have a reaction.
- Everyone makes mistakes, so every mistake should be fixable.
- Don’t overload the user’s buffers.
- Consistency, consistency, consistency.
- Minimize the need for a mighty memory.
- Keep it simple.
- The user should always know what is happening.
- The more you do something, the easier it should be to do.
- The user should control the system. The system should not control the user. The user is the boss and the system should show it.
- Eliminate unnecessary decisions and illuminate the rest.
- The best journey is the one with fewest steps. Shorten the distance between the user and the goal.
- The user should be able to do what the user wants to do.
- If I made an error, let me know about it before I get into REAL trouble.
- You should always know how to find out what to do next.
- The idea is to empower the user, not speed up the system.
- Things that look different should act different.
