10 Usability Slogans

1. Your best guess is not good enough

• Users behave in unexpected manner
• It is necessary to validate, it is no shame to revise

2. The user is always right

• The user is not stupid – it’s a design problem

3. The user is not always right

• You can’t just ask the users
• Users can’t predict how they will behave with future systems
• Users will have divergent opinions

4. Users are not designers

• N/AB don’t customize
• Customization itself needs an interface
• Too much of customization may lead to inconsistency

5. Designers are not users

• Knowledge is a one way street - it is difficult to remember, it is impossible to forget

6. Vice presidents are not users

• Client acceptance testing is not usability testing

7. Less is more

• Solutions could lie in taking things away

8. Details matter

• Interface design
• Information design
• Visual design

9. Help doesn’t

• Good help is no good on a bad interface
• It is better if the user can work without help

10. It is a process

• There is no right answer

[As learnt @ IDC, IIT Mumbai]

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