When it comes to discovering usability issues in any system or interface, designers make use of Heuristics. Put simply, Heuristics are rules of thumb, borne out of expert judgement and common sense. They can be used to both identify problems in existing systems, as well as provide general guidelines in system design.
Usability expert Jakob Nielsen published his 10 Heuristics for Interface Design back in 1990, which has been updated periodically since then. Nielsen’s heuristics are commonly used as an industry benchmark for evaluating and designing interfaces. However, the web and the interfaces we use on a daily basis have evolved a great deal in the time since Nielsen came up with his original list, and for this reason we believe there are some issues that are not explicitly addressed in his heuristics.
Jakob Nielsen: 'The King of Usability'
There are many important factors that get overlooked with Nielsen’s heuristics, such as accessibility, localised cultural considerations as well as the importance of visual design.
So, we came up with this list of additional considerations, drawing inspiration from some of today’s leading user experience experts.
1. Accessibility
Design with accessibility in mind. By making a design accessible from the outset, not only are you facilitating access for those who need extra provisions, but you’re also improving the overall experience for the rest of your users.
2. Navigation
Provide multiple ways to navigate a website, taking your user’s tasks and context into account. For example; are your users coming to your site to find a specific product or browse through your content? Supporting both search and browsing will provide a much better experience for your users.
3. Localisation
Take the user’s context and cultural background into consideration. Language and imagery that is appropriate in your country or culture might not be elsewhere. Localisation is supremely important, particularly with E-commerce websites and applications.
4. Visual Design
Carefully consider the use of colour, as occasionally some colours can carry connotations. Generally colour conventions are well documented but can occasionally produce unexpected results. Be mindful to provide adequate contrast and text size, as well as avoiding colours that could cause problems for the colour blind.
5. Labelling & Microcopy
Microcopy can have a large impact on your conversions, therefore it should always be succinct and well crafted. Labelling should always be clear and unambiguous.
6. Content
Research into user’s online reading habits shows that users scan text for keywords,instead of fully reading full passages of text. Take care to format text content to facilitate this behaviour. Adhere to the inverse pyramid writing style.
7. Home page
Homepages are one of the most important pages of a website. They have to serve as a launching pad for a wide variety of users embarking on different tasks and journeys, all of which need to be accommodated appropriately in your design. Adhering to recognised guidelines is key to a successful design.
8. Forms
A well designed form can work wonders for your business’s conversions. Minimalism and simplicity are the best design practices to stick to with form design; if you don’t strictly need a field, get rid of it. Paying close attention to the layout of a form is also supremely important. For complex forms/web application, progressive disclose is a powerful technique used to simplify tasks for your users.
Photograph of Jakob Nielsen courtesy of Useit.com
Nice one Dave! How’re things your way? Are you still at Chemistry?
Hi Harry. Not at Chemistry at the moment, my contract finished shortly after you left. I’m back at the studio now where we have quite a few exciting projects on the cards – including some usability testing, which should be great fun. What do you think of the list above? Is there anything else that you would add to it? Would be interesting to have the opinion of another IA.