101 UX Principles
By :
101 UX Principles
By:
Overview of this book
We want our UX to be brilliant. We want to create stunning user experiences. We want our UX to drive the success of our business with useful and usable software products. This book draws on the wisdom and training of Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman to help you get your UX right - in 101 ways!
101 UX Principles shows you the 101 most important things you need to know about usability and design. A practical reference for UX professionals, and a shortcut to greatness for anyone who needs a clear and wise selection of principles to guide their UX success. Learn the key principles that drive brilliant UX design.
Enjoy 101 Principles including ‘Good UX has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End’, ‘Make Your Links Look Like Links’, ‘Don't Use Obsolete Icons’, ‘Decide Whether an Interaction Should Be Obvious, Easy, or Possible’, ‘Test with Real Users’, ‘Making the most of fonts’, ‘Good UX for search results’, and ‘Show your user - don't tell your user!’
“Good to read from beginning to end, and a nice dip-in-and-out text, the chapter titles reminded me of principles I don't even think about explicitly when I likely should. The book inspired me to start more explicitly articulating some of the principles I just take for granted.”
- Elizabeth Churchill, Director of User Experience at Google
“This is a great practical read. It is convenient to use as a reference when solving real UX problems. I would definitely recommend it as an introduction to UX, but also as a good reminder of best practices for more experienced designers.”
- Anne-Marie Léger, Designer at Shopify
Some more of the 101 UX Principles featured in this book:
Work with user expectations not against them
How to build upon established metaphors
How to arrange navigation elements
How to introduce new ideas to your user
Matching pagination and content structure
When invention is not good for UX
Striving for simplicity
Reducing user tasks
What to make clickable
Making the most of fonts
Making your links look like links
Picking the right control for the job
Data input and what users care about
How to handle destructive user actions
When color should not convey information
Tappable areas and the size of fingers
Getting payment details the right way
Use the standard e-commerce pattern
If you really must use a flat design
When to use progress bars or spinners
Dropdowns the right and wrong way
Handling just-off-screen content
How to do Hamburger menus right
When to hide Advanced Settings
Good UX for Notifications
Table of Contents (108 chapters)
101 UX Principles
Contributors
Preface
Other Books You May Enjoy
Free Chapter
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 TYPE SIZE TO DEPICT INFORMATION 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
Index
Customer Reviews