Questions:

• Do I know what the system is doing?

• Do I know why I have to wait?

• Is the process running in the background or foreground?

• Do I know how much longer I will have to wait for a result?

• Do I know how far along the process is?

• Can I see how many steps are left in a process I am working on?

• Do I know what is coming next?

When users know the current system status, they learn the outcome of their prior interactions and determine next steps. Predictable interactions create trust in the product as well as the brand.

• Click on the Build & price  button and you get Loading the build options

Some websites may not have many examples of this heuristic. 

If they don't have anything to process you won't see a loading bar etc

Questions:

• Does the UI use terms based on users’ language for the task?

• Are meaningful icons and/or abbreviations used? 

• Does information appear in a natural order?

• Does the order that information is accessed match user expectations?

When a design’s controls follow real-world conventions and correspond to desired outcomes (called natural mapping), it’s easier for users to learn and remember how the interface works. This helps to build an experience that feels intuitive. 

• World image for language selection.

• Magnifying glass for search

• Inverted triangle for drop-down

• Speech bubble for chat

• Recognised icons for links

• Play button

• + sign indicates click for additional information

• Image colour reflects user's colour selection

• Images of speed dials and gear train to indicate speed and torque

• Pen for editing

• Locator bubble icon for location

• Dart for email

• Printer for printing

• $ sign for money

• Information is presented in a natural order

Questions:

• Are users offered easy ways out of as many situations as possible?

• Are there clearly marked ‘emergency exits’ for users to leave unwanted situations without having to go through several stages? 

• Support for undo and redo, e.g. Ctrl-Z & Ctrl-Y

• Cancel button (for dialogue boxes waiting for user input)

• Universal undo (can go back to the previous state) 

• Interrupt (especially for lengthy operations), e.g. Home button, “ESC” key 

• Quit (for leaving the program at any time) 

• Defaults (for restoring a previous state)

When it's easy for people to back out of a process or undo an action, it fosters a sense of freedom and confidence. Exits allow users to remain in control of the system and avoid getting stuck and feeling frustrated. 

Questions:

• When thinking about, designing for or analysing for consistency, ask yourself, is the product consistent:

• Within itself?

• With earlier versions of the product? 

• In its use of metaphors?

• With people's expectations?

• List the standards you can identify in the UI. 

• What makes them consistent?

• Try to describe why?

Failing to maintain consistency may increase the users' cognitive load by forcing them to learn something new. 

Questions:

• Do dialogue boxes pop up to ask for confirmation of interactions which have an impact, like deleting?

• Does it prevent the user from choosing interactions that are wrong in a certain situation, e.g. by greying out?

• Does the UI prevent choices that could be wrong for the user task (e.g. dates in the past, double booking or purchasing...) 

Our attention is as limited as our tolerance for stuff that doesn’t work. Most people who run into errors on our apps just move on to something else. 

Error prevention can help enable lower rates of user errors, and ultimately improve usability. 

Questions:

• Does the website's menu help you find the destination for your task easily?

• Does the website provide clear hints to choose appropriate functions?

• Does the UI help you remember the steps of your tasks, and your progress within the task?

• Does the UI use standard elements that make it easy to find your way?

Humans have limited short-term memories. Interfaces that promote recognition reduce the amount of cognitive effort required from users. 

Questions:

• Can a user speed up tasks with shortcut functions?

• Can an advanced user skip elements to speed up a task?

• Does the user interface use predictive text or search? 

• Does the user interface show recently used functionality or files for quick access?

A user will be more efficient and therefore have a better experience if a system is flexible enough to cater for their experience level. Novice users require guidance whilst experienced users require short cuts and accelerators.

Questions:

• Does the website use brief, clear language? 

• Is the layout uncluttered and does it use white space? 

• Does it use icons where possible?

• Do all elements have a purpose on the page or in the dialogue? 

• Does the website use a simple colour scheme? 

Our brain can only process limited information at a time. Sometimes, the interface is too cluttered which makes it very difficult for us to focus or function properly.

Questions:

• Are error messages constructive?

• Are error messages consistent in grammar, form, terminology, and abbreviations? 

• Do error messages blame the system, or the user? 

• Do error messages inform on the severity of the error?

• Do error messages indicate actions users need to take to correct the error?

• Does the system guide users to the place where the error occurred?

Increase user satisfaction by designing the error messages with human readable language and by guiding & providing the solution on how to solve or to recover from it. 

• Documentation on the selected options