Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical
order.
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User control and freedom
Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly
marked “emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go
through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
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Consistency and standards
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or
actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
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Error prevention
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents
a problem from occurring in the first place.
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Recognition rather than recall
Make objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to
remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instruc-
tions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever
appropriate.
•
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the
interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both
inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent
actions.
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Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely
needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the
relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.
•
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes),
precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
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Help and documentation
Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation,
it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such
information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list
concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large (Molich & Nielsen,
1990, p. 1).
