Usability heuristics

Usability heuristics are fundamental guiding principles that serve as a reference for the evaluation and design of user interfaces.

These principles, popularized by Jakob Nielsen, play a key role in improving the user experience by ensuring that interfaces are intuitive, efficient and pleasant to use. They allow potential usability issues to be detected before users even interact with the product, thus reducing the risk of dissatisfaction or errors.

By leveraging these heuristics, designers can create interfaces that meet user needs while meeting accessibility and usability standards.

Here are the 10 most widely recognized and used heuristics in this field:

1.System Status Visibility

Principle:Users should always know what is happening, with appropriate feedback in a reasonable time.

Examples:

• A progress bar during a download or upload.
• A visual or audio change when a button is pressed (e.g. color change or animation).
• Contextual notifications or alerts (eg: “Your file has been saved successfully”).
  
  

Why it matters: linenCertainty is a source of frustration. By communicating clearly, the user feels confident and in control.

2. Correspondence between the system and the real world

Principle: The interface should speak the users' language by using words, concepts and symbols that are familiar to them.

Examples:

• A floppy disk icon (although obsolete for some) to indicate "Save".
• Using common terms like “Shopping Cart” or “Add to Cart” in e-commerce sites, instead of technical terms.
  
  

Why it matters: THE Users should be able to immediately understand what functions do without prior training.

3. User Control and Freedom

Principle: Users should be able to go back, correct mistakes, or abandon a task without negative consequences.

Examples:

• "Undo" and "Redo" buttons on word processing software.
• Possibility to modify or cancel an order online before its final validation.
• The "Back" function in web browsers.
  
  

Why it matters: THE Users need to feel in control of their actions. A lack of flexibility leads to frustration and errors.

4. Consistency and standards

Principle: THESimilar elements must behave in the same way and follow established conventions.

Examples:

• The "Close" buttons are often located at the top right of windows.
• E-commerce sites have a common structure: product page, add to cart, payment.
• Meets accessibility standards (eg: Tab and Enter keys work as expected in forms).
  
  

Why it matters: a Consistent interface reduces the learning curve and promotes intuition.

5. Error prevention

Principle: It is better to prevent mistakes before they happen, rather than correcting them after.

Examples:

• Disabling a "Submit" button until all required fields in a form are filled out.
• Pop-up messages like “Your password is too short” displayed in real-time as you type.
• Action confirmation before irreversible tasks: "Are you sure you want to delete this item?"
  
  

Why it matters: Prevention reduces frustration, especially among inexperienced users.

6. Recognition rather than reminder

Principle: Interfaces should minimize the cognitive load on users by making necessary options, information or instructions visible.

Examples:

• Drop-down lists or automatic suggestions (eg: search engine).
• Self-explanatory icons for common actions (eg: an envelope for "email").
• History or favorites in applications to easily find data.
  
  

Why it matters: THE users don't have to remember complex details or search for information at every step.

7. Flexibility and efficiency of use

Principle: An interface should be usable by both novices and experts by offering shortcuts or advanced features.

Examples:

• Keyboard shortcuts for frequent actions (Ctrl S for "save").
• “Expert mode” allowing access to advanced options.
• Customization features, such as rearranging icons on a dashboard.
  
  

Why it matters: Thisallows it to improve efficiency for frequent users while not sacrificing simplicity.

8. Aesthetics and minimalism

Principle: Interfaces should be clear and free of unnecessary distractions. Every element should have a function.

Examples:

• Minimalist design of Google or Apple home pages.
• White spaces to avoid cluttered display.
• Elimination of redundant or of little use.
  
  

Why it matters: a Clean interface helps the user focus on what is essential, reducing cognitive fatigue.

9. Helps in recognizing, diagnosing and correcting errors

Principle: When an error occurs, the user must be able to understand what happened and how to correct it.

Examples:

• Explicit error messages like "Your password is incorrect" instead of a vague "Error".
• Explanation of possible solutions: "Please reset your password or contact support."
• Real-time validation in forms to correct errors before submission.
  
  

Why it matters: Poorly handled errors create frustration and detract from the user experience.

10. Help and Documentation

Principle: Although the interface should be intuitive, there should be clear and accessible help to resolve problems.

Examples:

• Built-in FAQ or help center.
• Virtual assistant or online chat to answer questions.
• Quick documentation or interactive tutorials when starting an application.
  
  

Why it matters: Users do not always have the time or knowledge to solve their problems on their own.