101 UX Principles

With 101 UX Principles, browse over 20 years of collected UX insights. Accept or reject 101 thought-provoking opinions on design. Challenge your own ideas on UX. (Limited-time offer)

Book Description

Topics included: Anyone Can Be a User Experience (UX) Professional • Don’t Use More Than Two Typefaces • Users Already Have Fonts on Their Computers, So Use Them • Use to size to depict infomation hierarchy • Use a Sensible Default Size for Body Copy • Use an Ellipsis to Indicate That There’s a Further Step • Make Your Buttons Look Like Buttons • Make Buttons a Sensible Size and Group Them Together by Function • Make the Whole Button Clickable, Not Just the Text • Don’t Invent New, Arbitrary Controls • Search Should be a Text Field with a Button Labeled “Search” • Sliders Should Be Used Only for Non-Quantifiable Values • Use Numeric Entry Fields for Precise Integers • Don’t Use a Drop-Down Menu If You Only Have a Few Options • Allow Users to Undo Destructive Actions • Think About What’s Just off the Screen • Use “Infinite Scroll” for Feed–Style Content Only • If Your Content Has a Beginning, Middle, and End, Use Pagination • If You Must Use Infinite Scroll, Store the User’s Position and Return to It • Make “Blank Slates” More Than Just Empty Views • Make “Getting Started” Tips Easily Dismissable • When a User Refreshes a Feed, Move Them to the Last Unread Item • Don’t Hide Items Away in a “Hamburger” Menu • Make Your Links Look Like Links • Split Menu Items Down into Subsections, so Users Don’t Have to Remember Large Lists • Hide “Advanced” Settings From Most Users • Repeat Menu Items in the Footer or Lower Down in the View • Use Consistent Icons Across the Product • Don’t Use Obsolete Icons • Don’t Try to Depict a New Idea With an Existing Icon • Never Use Text on Icons • Always Give Icons a Text Label • Emoji are the Most Recognized Icon Set on Earth • Use Device-Native Input Features Where Possible • Obfuscate Passwords in Fields, but Provide a “Show Password” Toggle • Always Allow the User to Paste into Password Fields • Don’t Attempt to Validate Email Addresses • Don’t Ever Clear User-Entered Data Unless Specifically Asked To • Pick a Sensible Size for Multiline Input Fields • Don’t Ever Make Your UI Move While a User is Trying to Use It • Use the Same Date Picker Controls Consistently • Pre-fill the Username in “Forgot Password” Fields • Be Case-Insensitive • If a Good Form Experience Can Be Delivered, Your Users will Love Your Product • Validate Data Entry as Soon as Possible • If the Form Fails Validation, Show the User Which Field Needs Their Attention • Be Forgiving – Users Don’t Know (and Don’t Care) How You Need the Data • Pick the Right Control for the Job • Allow Users to Enter Phone Numbers However They Wish • Use Drop Downs Sensibly for Date Entry • Capture the Bare Minimum When Requesting Payment Card Details • Make it Easy for Users to Enter Postal or ZIP Codes • Don’t Add Decimal Places to Currency Input • Make it Painless for the User to Add Images • Use a “Linear” Progress Bar if a Task will Take a Determinate Amount of Time • Show a “Spinner” if the Task Will Take an Indeterminate Amount of Time • Never Show an Animated, Looping Progress Bar • Show a Numeric Progress Indicator on the Progress Bar • Contrast Ratios Are Your Friends • If You Must Use “Flat Design” then Add Some Visual Affordances to Controls • Avoid Ambiguous Symbols • Make Links Make Sense Out of Context • Add “Skip to Content” Links Above the Header and Navigation • Don’t Only Use Color to Convey Information • If You Turn Off Device Zoom with a Meta Tag, You’re Evil • Give Navigation Elements a Logical Tab Order • Write Clear Labels for Controls • Let Users Turn off Specific Notifications • Make Tappable Areas Finger-Sized • A User’s Journey Should Have a Beginning, Middle, and End • The User Should Always Know at What Stage They Are in Any Given Journey • Use Breadcrumb Navigation • If the User is on an Optional Journey, Give Them a Control to “Skip This” • Users Don’t Care About Your Company • Follow the Standard E-Commerce Pattern • Show an Indicator in the Title Bar if the User’s Work is Unsaved • Don’t Nag Your Users into Rating Your App • Don’t Use a Vanity Splash Screen • Make Your Favicon Distinctive • Add a “Create from Existing” Flow • Make it Easy for Users to Pay You • Categorize Search Results into Sections • Your Users Probably Don’t Understand the File System • Show, Don’t Tell • Be Consistent with Terminology • Use “Sign in” and “Sign out”, Not “Log in” and “Log out” • “Sign up” Makes More Sense Than “Register” • Use “Forgot Password” or “Forgotten Your Password”, Not Something Obscure • Write Like a Human Being • Choose Active Verbs over Passive • Search Results Pages Should Show the Most Relevant Result at the Top of the Page • Pick Good Defaults • Don’t Confound Users’ Expectations • Reduce the Number of Tasks a User Has to Complete by Using Sensible Defaults • Build Upon Established Metaphors – It’s Not Stealing • Decide Whether an Interaction Should Be Obvious, Easy, or Possible • “Does it Work on Mobile?” is Obsolete • Messaging is a Solved Problem • Brands Are Bullshit • Don’t Join the Dark Side • Test with Real Users • Bonus – Strive for Simplicity

Download Free PDF / Read Online