Heuristic Frameworks

In the dynamic realm of User Experience (UX) Design, heuristic evaluation frameworks serve as invaluable compasses to steer us towards the creation of more user-centric, efficient, and accessible digital interfaces. These heuristic principles are not one-size-fits-all rules, but rather strategic guidelines that allow us to scrutinize an interface from various perspectives, ranging from interaction patterns to cognitive load.

In this section of my portfolio, I have curated an assortment of key heuristic evaluation frameworks that I, and many other designers around the globe, have relied upon in our design journeys. These include:

1. Cognitive Workflow: This framework allows us to examine interfaces from the standpoint of cognitive psychology, addressing the mental processes users go through when interacting with our designs.

2. Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics: Pioneered by one of the godfathers of modern UX, these ten heuristics are a fundamental tool for any designer looking to maximize the usability of their interfaces.

3. Ben Shneiderman's Golden Rules: These rules, curated by a titan in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), offer guiding principles for designers to make user-friendly and engaging interfaces.

4. ISO's Interaction Principles: A comprehensive set of guidelines rooted in internationally recognized standards to ensure effective human-computer interaction.

The use of these heuristic frameworks, and the constant engagement with their principles, encourages a user-first approach to design. They serve as catalysts that spark design improvements, making digital interfaces not just visually appealing, but also functionally effective and gratifying to use.

• Offer informative feedback

• ~ Design dialog to yield closure

• Support internal locus of control

• Strive for consistency

• ~ Permit easy reversal of actions

• Offer simple error handling

• Reduce short-term memory load

• ~ Enable frequent users to use shortcuts

Ben Shneiderman

Discover the Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design, a distilled guide from decades of experience. Embrace consistency, universal usability, and informative feedback. Design dialogs for closure, prevent errors, and permit easy reversals. Keep users in control, reduce memory load, and enhance productivity. Create empowering interfaces for mobile, desktop, and web

www.cs.umd.edu

• Self-descriptiveness

• ~ Suitability for the task

• Controllability

• Conformity with user expectations

• Error tolerance

• ~ Suitability for learning

• Suitability for individualisation

ISO 9241-110:2006

Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 110: Dialogue principles

www.iso.org