Design Better Interfaces With Shneiderman’s 8 Golden Rules

When it comes to UX and UI designing for mobile apps, many tools and techniques are available to create the perfect interface. However, the process can be confusing since there is so much in the market for creating the perfect interface. A UX designer should have proper training before choosing the tools. The designer needs to set his principles and apply tools accordingly to create the right interface every time.

Although the principles of creating a user interface remain the same, the expression of it and the creation of it is different. There are principles that user experience and interface designers can use to create new interfaces. Even with the most advanced tools, these principles hold because user interface development aims to increase human-machine interaction.

The creator of these basic principles for better interfaces is Ben Shneiderman. Ben Shneiderman is an American scientist who has studied human-machine interactions deeply. Human-machine interactions are fundamental to the way interactive interfaces develop. Here are the eight principles of Schneiderman that help User interface Design Agency to create interactive interfaces for apps. These principles are simple and applicable to a large number of interfaces.

Several elements must be integrated into an interface to create a complete one. The basic rule to remember is to create an interface with consistent elements. Whether it is with the themes or with the colour scheme of the app page, there should be consistency in the elements so that they relay a singular idea to the users. The consistency will keep users engaged with the interface and find it interesting. When we say consistency is key, it does not mean we want things to be repetitive. The elements should be concurrent with a theme and idea that represents the brand. It is about creating a solid impression in the user’s mind regarding the app and its purpose. Consistency creates brand recall in the mind of the user.

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The user does not want to go through tough navigation to reach the app’s features. Moreover, if the user is frequent, he will want to access the app features easily and frequently. Therefore, your app interface should have shortcuts incorporated into them. The shortcuts increase the accessibility of the app and make it easy to use for the target audience. The menu should be well organized, but keyboard and gesture shortcuts should also be part of the interface.

Another area the principles focus on is offering speedy feedback when the user is taking up any such processes linked with the interface. The interface should be conversational and help the user know where he stands on the status of a process. He can initiate many tasks with the help of the interface. By offering instant and real-time feedback, the interface becomes highly useful.

Apart from feedback, sharing closure about a process is also important. When a user starts a process on the app, he not only wants status updates but wants to be sure that the process is over and results are driven. It is important to create an interface that offers closure too. For example, the app can display thank you messages, completed messages, or even the closure message on a purchase or transaction so that the user is sure of the money he has spent.

Every app interface should avoid errors as much as possible when it comes to errors. However, there can be occasions when the app interface runs through an error. In such cases, the app interface must show the error message for the user to stay informed. On the other hand, the app interface screen should also suggest ways in which the user can easily fix this issue and go ahead with his task. Error handling and troubleshooting at the basic level should be a part of every app interface.

When it comes to users, many people may accidentally click on a button or a command or to check what it does for the first time. Unnecessary commands are common for users as they fiddle with the app. In such cases, it is important to incorporate easy reversal of actions and commands so that the user can recover the data and take the correct action.

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The undo button should be a part of the interface for emergencies. This reduces the hassle for the user to a great extent. Whether it is the delete button or the archive button, send button also, the option to reverse is a great option for the user. All modern apps have these reversal options at many crucial steps.

When the interface is designed, the design should be in a way that the internal locus of control should be to an extent with the user. An app is a software that takes the device’s help to run. It is in control of some actions and tasks. However, the ultimate control should be at the hand of the user. The user should not feel like he cannot handle the app. This way, he will feel like he is not interacting with the app, but it is automatically running. While automation is great, people wish to keep control over the initial and fundamental commands of the app. The internal locus of control can be given to the user with the help of personalization and other user-specific provisions in the interface.

These days’ users have an attention span of a few seconds to a minute. Their memory also is not strong on a short-term basis. When the memory load of information is designed for the app, the development team should ensure that only the most necessary information gets conveyed to the user via a simple user interface. The application should be of a simple single page or consolidated multi-pages that are easy to understand and use.

These are the basic principles of user-oriented interface design for improved structure and projection of interface. 

Uaxe Labs is one of the most visionary UI/UX design company with a focus on enhancing the significance of the brand through innovative intelligence. We assure you that Uaxe would be the most excellent UI/UX design agency for your amazing brand and product.