UX Principles

Question 1

User-Centered Design (UCD)

Answer 1

A design philosophy that prioritizes the needs wants and limitations of end-users at each stage of the design process. Decisions are driven by user understanding not assumptions.

Question 2

Usability

Answer 2

The ease with which users can employ a tool or object to achieve a particular goal. Key components include learnability efficiency memorability error prevention/recovery and satisfaction.

Question 3

Accessibility (A11y)

Answer 3

Designing products devices services or environments for people with disabilities. Ensures equal access and opportunity regardless of ability (visual auditory motor cognitive).

Question 4

Information Architecture (IA)

Answer 4

The practice of organizing structuring and labeling content effectively and sustainably. Goal: Help users find information and complete tasks easily.

Question 5

Visual Hierarchy

Answer 5

Using visual cues (size color contrast spacing placement) to indicate the relative importance of elements and guide the user’s attention through the interface.

Question 6

Consistency (Internal & External)

Answer 6

Internal: Using the same patterns terminology and design elements throughout your own product. External: Following platform and industry conventions users are familiar with.

Question 7

Feedback

Answer 7

Providing clear and timely information about the system’s status and the results of user actions. Reassures users prevents errors and indicates progress.

Question 8

Mental Model

Answer 8

A user’s internal understanding and expectation of how a system works based on their past experiences. Design should align with or gently shape user mental models.

Question 9

Error Prevention

Answer 9

Designing interfaces to minimize the likelihood of users making mistakes. Examples: confirmation dialogs for destructive actions clear constraints good defaults.

Question 10

Error Recovery

Answer 10

When errors inevitably occur provide clear constructive messages and easy ways for users to correct the problem and continue their task.

Question 11

Efficiency

Answer 11

Allowing users to achieve their goals quickly and with minimal effort. Streamlining workflows reducing steps and providing shortcuts contribute to efficiency.

Question 12

Learnability

Answer 12

How easily can a first-time user understand and operate the interface to accomplish basic tasks? Crucial for user adoption and reducing frustration.

Question 13

Cognitive Load

Answer 13

The amount of mental effort required to use an interface. Aim to minimize extraneous cognitive load (complexity unrelated to the task) so users can focus on their goals.

Question 14

Simplicity / Clarity

Answer 14

Striving for clarity and avoiding unnecessary complexity in layout language and interactions. Less is often more. Reduces cognitive load.

Question 15

Jakob’s Law

Answer 15

Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means they prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. Leverage existing conventions.

Question 16

Aesthetics & Desirability

Answer 16

The visual appeal and overall look-and-feel. While secondary to usability good aesthetics can enhance perceived usability build trust and create delight.

Question 17

Context of Use

Answer 17

Understanding where when how and why users will interact with the product (e.g. device type environment user’s goal emotional state). Design should suit the context.

Question 18

User Research

Answer 18

Systematically studying target users and their requirements through methods like interviews surveys usability testing and analytics to guide design decisions.

Question 19

Iteration & Testing

Answer 19

The cyclical process of designing prototyping testing with users analyzing feedback and refining the design. UX is not a one-time task but an ongoing process.

Question 20

Core Disciplines within UX? (Hint: Think broad functional areas like research structure interaction…)

Answer 20

Key areas include: User Research Information Architecture (IA) Interaction Design (IxD) Visual Design Usability Engineering/Testing Content Strategy Accessibility (A11y).

Question 21

Key Quality Components of Usability? (Hint: 5 aspects defining ease of use)

Answer 21

Learnability (easy to learn) Efficiency (quick to use) Memorability (easy to remember after disuse) Errors (low rate easy recovery) Satisfaction (pleasant to use).

Question 22

Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics? (Hint: Foundational set of 10 evaluation guidelines)

Answer 22

1. Visibility of system status 2. Match system & real world 3. User control & freedom 4. Consistency & standards 5. Error prevention 6. Recognition rather than recall 7. Flexibility & efficiency of use 8. Aesthetic & minimalist design 9. Help users recognize diagnose recover from errors 10. Help & documentation.

Question 23

Typical Phases in User-Centered Design Process? (Hint: Iterative cycle starting with understanding users)

Answer 23

Common iterative phases: 1. Understand & specify the context of use 2. Specify user requirements 3. Produce design solutions 4. Evaluate designs against requirements. (Repeat as needed).

Question 24

WCAG’s 4 Principles of Accessibility? (Hint: Remember the acronym P.O.U.R.)

Answer 24

1. Perceivable (Information must be presentable in ways users can perceive) 2. Operable (Interface components & navigation must be operable) 3. Understandable (Information & operation must be understandable) 4. Robust (Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by diverse user agents including assistive technologies).

Question 25

Goal of Interaction Design (IxD)? (Hint: Focuses on the dialogue between user and product)

Answer 25

To define the structure and behavior of interactive systems. IxD facilitates the actions users take to achieve their goals considering elements like feedback state changes constraints and mapping.

Question 26

What is the Double Diamond model? (Hint: 4 stages alternating divergent & convergent thinking)

Answer 26

A model visualising the design process in four phases: Discover (diverge - research user needs) Define (converge - identify key problems) Develop (diverge - explore potential solutions) Deliver (converge - test & release the best solution).

Question 27

Common Categories of UX Research Methods? (Hint: Think qualitative vs quantitative attitudinal vs behavioral)

Answer 27

Methods categorized by: Qualitative (why/how e.g. interviews ethnography) Quantitative (how many/much e.g. surveys A/B tests) Attitudinal (what people say e.g. surveys focus groups) Behavioral (what people do e.g. usability testing analytics). Often combined.

Question 28

Examples of Common UX Research Methods? (Hint: How do we learn about users and test designs?)

Answer 28

User Interviews Surveys Usability Testing (moderated/unmoderated) Card Sorting Tree Testing A/B Testing Analytics Review Contextual Inquiry Diary Studies Focus Groups Heuristic Evaluation.

Question 29

Typical Phases of the Design Thinking Process? (Hint: A 5-stage human-centered approach)

Answer 29

Common 5 phases: Empathize (understand users) Define (articulate the core problem) Ideate (brainstorm solutions) Prototype (create tangible representations) Test (get feedback on prototypes). It's iterative not strictly linear.

Question 30

Core Principles of Design Thinking? (Hint: Focuses on user collaboration iteration...)

Answer 30

Core ideas include: Human-centeredness (focus on user needs) Collaboration (multidisciplinary teams) Iteration (cyclical process of prototyping testing refining) Bias towards action (prototyping over debating) Experimentation (testing assumptions).

Question 31

Nielsen: Visibility of System Status

Answer 31

The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. ## Footnote Example: Showing a progress bar during file uploads or indicating loading states keeps users informed.

Question 32

Nielsen: Match System & Real World

Answer 32

The system should speak the user's language, with words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions. ## Footnote Example: Using a shopping cart icon for an e-commerce checkout matches a real-world concept.

Question 33

Nielsen: User Control & Freedom

Answer 33

Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked 'emergency exit' to leave the unwanted state without an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo. ## Footnote Example: Providing an easy way to cancel an action or go back a step gives users control.

Question 34

Nielsen: Consistency & Standards

Answer 34

Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform and industry conventions. ## Footnote Example: Using standard icons and consistent navigation placement across a website helps users learn faster.

Question 35

Nielsen: Error Prevention

Answer 35

Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them. ## Footnote Example: Disabling the 'Submit' button until all required form fields are filled prevents errors.

Question 36

Nielsen: Recognition Rather Than Recall

Answer 36

Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. ## Footnote Example: Showing recently viewed items helps users recognize them instead of recalling product names.

Question 37

Nielsen: Flexibility & Efficiency of Use

Answer 37

Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. ## Footnote Example: Keyboard shortcuts for frequent actions allow power users to work faster.

Question 38

Nielsen: Aesthetic & Minimalist Design

Answer 38

Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information competes with relevant units and diminishes their relative visibility. ## Footnote Example: A clean interface focusing only on essential elements reduces cognitive load and improves usability.

Question 39

Nielsen: Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, Recover from Errors

Answer 39

Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution. ## Footnote Example: Instead of 'Error #502', use 'Credit card number invalid. Please check the number and try again.'

Question 40

Nielsen: Help & Documentation

Answer 40

Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search. ## Footnote Example: Providing context-sensitive help icons or a searchable FAQ section assists users when needed.

Question 41

Hick's Law

Answer 41

The time it takes to make a decision increases logarithmically with the number and complexity of choices available. ## Footnote Example: Reducing the number of options in a navigation menu can help users decide where to go faster.

Question 42

Fitts's Law

Answer 42

The time required to rapidly move to a target area is a function of the ratio between the distance to the target and the width of the target. ## Footnote Example: Making buttons larger and placing them closer to the user's likely cursor position makes them easier and faster to click.

Question 43

Jakob's Law

Answer 43

Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. ## Footnote Example: Placing login links and shopping carts in conventional locations meets user expectations based on Jakob's Law.

Question 44

Law of Proximity (Gestalt)

Answer 44

Objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together perceptually. ## Footnote Example: Placing labels close to their corresponding form fields visually groups them together.

Question 45

Law of Similarity (Gestalt)

Answer 45

Objects that look similar (e.g., in shape, color, size) are perceived as being part of the same group. ## Footnote Example: Using the same button style for all primary calls-to-action helps users identify them easily.

Question 46

Law of Closure (Gestalt)

Answer 46

The human eye prefers to see complete shapes. We will fill in gaps to perceive a whole object. ## Footnote Example: Using dashed lines to outline a container can work because users perceive the complete shape due to closure.

Question 47

Law of Common Region (Gestalt)

Answer 47

Elements tend to be perceived into groups if they are sharing an area with a clearly defined boundary. ## Footnote Example: Placing related items within a bordered box or shaded background groups them effectively.

Question 48

Law of Prägnanz / Simplicity (Gestalt)

Answer 48

People will perceive and interpret ambiguous or complex images as the simplest form(s) possible. ## Footnote Example: Using clear, simple icons is generally better than complex illustrations for quick comprehension.

Question 49

Miller's Law (7 +/- 2)

Answer 49

The average person can only keep about 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their working memory at one time. (Often misapplied to limiting choices, better for information chunking). ## Footnote Example: Chunking a long phone number or credit card number into smaller groups makes it easier to remember temporarily.

Question 50

Doherty Threshold

Answer 50

Productivity soars when a computer and its users interact at a pace (<400ms) that ensures that neither has to wait on the other. ## Footnote Example: Optimizing page load speed and interface responsiveness to feel instantaneous keeps users engaged.

Question 51

Peak-End Rule

Answer 51

People judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak (most intense point) and at its end, rather than on the total sum or average of every moment. ## Footnote Example: Ensuring the final step of a checkout process is smooth and positive can improve the overall perceived experience, even if earlier steps had minor issues.

Question 52

User-Centered Design (UCD)

Answer 52

A design philosophy/process focusing on user needs, objectives, and feedback at every stage of design and development. ## Footnote Example: Conducting user interviews and usability testing throughout the design process exemplifies UCD.

Question 53

Goal-Directed Design

Answer 53

A design methodology focusing on satisfying the goals and needs of users (personas) as the primary driver of design decisions. ## Footnote Example: Defining specific user personas and their primary goals helps prioritize features that directly address those goals.

Question 54

Progressive Disclosure

Answer 54

An interaction design technique that sequences information and actions across several screens or steps in order to reduce complexity. ## Footnote Example: Showing advanced settings only after a user clicks an 'Advanced' link prevents overwhelming novice users.

Question 55

KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

Answer 55

A design principle stating that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated; therefore, simplicity should be a key goal. ## Footnote Example: Removing unnecessary features or steps from a user flow often improves usability, following the KISS principle.

Question 56

Affordance

Answer 56

A property of an object indicating how it can be used. Knobs afford turning, buttons afford pushing. (In UI, perceived affordances are key). ## Footnote Example: Designing a button to look raised or clickable gives it the perceived affordance of being pushable.

Question 57

Signifier

Answer 57

Clues or signals (visual or otherwise) that communicate affordances or provide guidance on how to use something. ## Footnote Example: An arrow icon next to text acts as a signifier that clicking it will expand content or navigate somewhere.