Shneiderman's 8 Golden Rules
Eight principles for interface design from Ben Shneiderman.
Why it matters
They are a compact checklist, especially for complex and data-heavy products.
The essentials
- Strive for consistency
- Seek universal usability
- Offer informative feedback
- Design dialogs to yield closure
- Prevent errors
- Permit easy reversal of actions
- Keep users in control
- Reduce short-term memory load
How to use it
- Add shortcuts for frequent users.
- Confirm when a task is finished.
- Make actions reversible.
Example
An email app that offers "Undo send" follows the rule on reversal of actions.