Heuristics for interaction design

Jakob Nielsen listed 10 general principles for heuristic evaluation. These principles are highly flexible and transposable to many different contexts beyond usability and interaction design.

In short, and as a checklist when needed:

Meet expectations

• Match the real world
• Consistency & standards
• Help and documentation

User is the boss

• User control & freedom
• Visibility of system status
• Flexibility & efficiency

Errors

• Error prevention
• Recognition, not recall
• Error reporting, diagnosis, and recovery

Keep it simple

• Aesthetic & minimalist

Last update: 2021-02-01