Human Computer Interaction - Introduction - What is "HCI" ?

8 Golden Rules

by Ben Shneiderman

(check video explanation above😊)

8 Golden Rules of Interface Design 

• Consistency

by utilizing familiar icons, colors, menu hierarchy, call-to-actions, and user flows when designing similar situations and sequence of actions. Standardizing the way information is conveyed ensures users are able to apply knowledge from one click to another; without the need to learn new representations for the same actions. Consistency plays an important role by helping users become familiar with the digital landscape of your product so they can achieve their goals more easily.

• Shortcuts 

With increased use comes the demand for quicker methods of completing tasks. For example, both Windows and Mac provide users with keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting, so as the user becomes more experienced, they can navigate and operate the user interface more quickly and effortlessly.

• Feedback 

The user should know where they are at and what is going on at all times. For every action there should be appropriate, human-readable feedback within a reasonable amount of time. A good example of applying this would be to indicate to the user where they are at in the process when working through a multi-page questionnaire. A bad example we often see is when an error message shows an error-code instead of a human-readable and meaningful message.

• Dialog Course 

Don’t keep your users guessing. Tell them what their action has led them to. For example, users would appreciate a “Thank You” message and a proof of purchase receipt when they’ve completed an online purchase.

• Simple Error Handling 

No one likes to be told they’re wrong, especially your users. Systems should be designed to be as fool-proof as possible, but when unavoidable errors occur, ensure users are provided with simple, intuitive step-by-step instructions to solve the problem as quickly and painlessly as possible. For example, flag the text fields where the users forgot to provide input in an online form.

• Reversible Actions 

Designers should aim to offer users obvious ways to reverse their actions. These reversals should be permitted at various points whether it occurs after a single action, a data entry or a whole sequence of actions. As Shneiderman states in his book:

• Put User In Control 

Allow your users to be the initiators of actions. Give users the sense that they are in full control of events occurring in the digital space. Earn their trust as you design the system to behave as they expect.

• Reduce Short-term Memory Load 

Human attention is limited and we are only capable of maintaining around five items in our short-term memory at one time. Therefore, interfaces should be as simple as possible with proper information hierarchy, and choosing recognition over recall. Recognizing something is always easier than recall because recognition involves perceiving cues that help us reach into our vast memory and allowing relevant information to surface. For example, we often find the format of multiple choice questions easier than short answer questions on a testbecause it only requires us to recognize the answer rather than recall it from our memory. Jakob Nielsen, a user advocate who’s been called one of the “world’s most influential designers” by Bloomberg Businessweek has invented several usability methods including heuristic evaluation. Recognition over recall is one of Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics for interface design.