Normani Nielsen rules
Category: Design
What are the Normani Nielsen rules?
Normani Nielsen rules are a set of principles and guidelines for designing user interfaces, developed by Don Norman and Jacob Nielsen. These rules represent fundamental principles in the field of user experience (UX) and usability, which help create intuitive, effective, and user-friendly products.
Don Norman is focused on cognitive psychology and design based on human perception, while Jacob Nielsen is known for his work in web usability and heuristic evaluation.
6 principles of Don Norman
1Visibility
The user must be able to easily see what actions are possible at a given moment. Important controls and options must be visible and easily accessible.
- Buttons and controls are clearly visible
- The status of the system is visible
- Navigation is intuitive
2Display
The connection between controls and their effects must be clear and logical. The user must understand what will happen at each action.
- Buttons look pressable
- Form follows logical order
- The results of actions are predictable
3Restrictions
Restricting possible actions prevents errors and helps the user understand what is possible in a given context.
- Disabled options in an inappropriate context
- Form validation in real time
- Preventing impossible actions
4Sequence
Similar elements should have similar behavior and visual appearance. Sequence reduces the need to learn.
- Equal buttons for equal actions
- Sequential navigation
- Uniform visual standards
5Link
The user must be able to establish a link between the action and the result, between the control and its effect.
- Immediate feedback
- Clear causal relationship
- Confirmation of actions
6Model
The design must correspond to the user's mental model - his expectations and understanding of how the system should work.
- Following general accepted conventions
- Using familiar metaphors
- Meeting user expectations
10 heuristics of Nielsen for user interfaces
- 1. Visibility of system state
The system must always inform users about what is happening, through appropriate feedback in a reasonable period of time.
- 2. Match with the real world
The system must speak the language of users, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user.
- 3. Control and freedom of the user
Users often select system functions by mistake and need a clearly marked "emergency exit".
- 4. Sequence and standards
Users should not wonder whether different words, situations or actions mean the same thing.
- 5. Prevention of errors
A better design prevents problems from happening. Eliminate conditions that lead to errors.
- 6. Recognition instead of memory
Reduce the user's memory load by making objects, actions and options visible.
- 7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
Adaptations can speed up interaction for expert users.
- 8. Elegant and minimalist design
Dialogs should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed.
- 9. Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors
Error messages should be expressed in simple language, pinpoint the problem and offer a constructive solution.
- 10. Help and documentation
Although it is better for the system to be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation.
Good and bad practices
Good design
- Clear navigation with an indicator for the current page
- Buttons that look pressable
- Forms with clear instructions and validation
- Loading indicators for long operations
- Possibility to cancel actions
- Error messages with useful tips
Bad design
- Hidden menus and unclear navigation
- Buttons that don't look interactive
- Forms without feedback on errors
- Operations without progress indicator
- Irreversible actions without warning
- Cryptic error messages
Application in modern UX design
- Micro-interactions: Animations and visual feedback for user actions
- Progressive disclosure: Showing only the necessary information in a given context
- System design: Creating consistent components that follow the same principles
- Accessibility: Applying principles to all users, including those with disabilities
- Mobile design: Applying principles for small screens and touch interactions
- Voice interfaces: Applying the same principles for voice-controlled systems
Testing methods according to principles
- Heuristic evaluation: Experts assess the interface according to the established principles
- User testing: Observation of real users while using the system
- Cognitive walkthrough: Simulating user thinking step by step
- A/B testing: Comparison of different design solutions according to principles
- Task analysis: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller steps and evaluating each of them
Evolution of principles
| Period | Focus | Additions |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | Basic principles of usability | Primary principles of Norman |
| 1990-те | Web usability | 10 heuristics of Nielsen |
| 2000-те | Mobile devices | Adaptation of principles for small screens |
| 2010-те | User experience (UX) | Expanding towards emotional design |
| 2020-те | AI and voice interfaces | Applying principles for new technologies |