Relevance of Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design to User experience across device platforms.

Heuristic Evaluation is not the set of rules — it is more about recommendations of making interface natural for the end-user. And all the magic is hidden there. We will focus on Jacob Nielsen’s research, published in 1995–10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design. Despite the time and significant changes in digital interfaces, they are still works and still recognized across the designers.

For better understanding, let’s first look into the past. Do you remember Windows Mobile smartphones or Nokia N-Series before 2007? Those devices were not for everyone. Windows Mobile devices required a stylus, and its user experience was too complicated for regular customers. Nokia with Symbian OS didn’t support touch screens, and its UI was more similar to typical cell-phones but more complicated and slow. Both systems were rather geek-oriented and scary for regular users. So what happened then?

The Nielsen-Molich heuristics state that a system should:

1. Keep users informed about its status appropriately and promptly.
2. Show information in ways users understand from how the real world operates, and in the users’ language.
3. Offer users control and let them undo errors easily.
4. Be consistent so users aren’t confused over what different words, icons, etc. mean.
5. Prevent errors — a system should either avoid conditions where errors arise or warn users before they take risky actions (e.g., “Are you sure you want to do this?” messages).
6. Have visible information, instructions, etc. to let users recognize options, actions, etc. instead of forcing them to rely on memory.
7. Be flexible so experienced users find faster ways to attain goals.
8. Have no clutter, containing only relevant information for current tasks.
9. Provide plain-language help regarding errors and solutions.
10. List concise steps in lean, searchable documentation for overcoming problems.