Usability for Nerds
Table of contents
General principles
- Feedback to user
- The user should be in control
- Self-explaining interfaces
- Predictability
- Transparency
- Never interrupt the user
- Can I guess what the user wants?
- Error tolerance
- WYSIWYG
- Speak the user's language
- Avoid anthropomorphic interfaces
- Design should reflect the user's logic, not the constructor's logic
- The design of a button should reflect its importance
- Provide alternative ways out of a situation
- Surveys, Questionnaires, Forms and Option lists
- Accessibility to handicapped users
- Novices versus experienced users
- Feature Bloat
- Standardization
- Open standards
The design process
- Convincing decision makers
- User profile
- Involve users in the design
- Usability test
- Feedback from customers
- Track user behavior
Specific technical problems
Hardware
Software
- Interaction schemes
- Help
- Error Messages
- Response Time
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Mouse Effects
- Scrolling
- Default values
- File Organization
- Installation and Uninstallation
- Copy Protection
Web design
- Accessibility to Handicapped Users
- Navigation
- Avoid Frames
- Animations
- Cookies
- Printer-friendly web pages
- Compatibility of web pages