Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design
William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butleramazon.com
Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design
Implicit in Ockham’s razor is the idea that unnecessary elements decrease a design’s efficiency, and increase the probability of unanticipated consequences. Unnecessary weight, whether physical, visual, or cognitive, degrades performance. Unnecessary design elements have the potential to fail or create problems.
Consider design by committee when quality, error mitigation, and stakeholder acceptance are primary factors. Consider design by dictator when an aggressive timeline is the primary factor. Favor
In decision-making situations, if the decision is to be made immediately after the presentation of the last item, increase the probability of an item being selected by presenting it at the end of the list; otherwise, present it at the beginning of the list.
Passive redundancy is the application of redundant elements only when an active element fails (e.g., using a spare tire on a vehicle in the event of a flat tire). Passive redundancy is ideal for noncritical elements, but it will result in system failure when used for elements critical to system operation. Passive redundancy is the simplest and most
... See moreOptimal design results only when designers have an accurate and complete system model, attain an accurate and complete interaction model, and then design a system interface that reflects an efficient merging of both models.
The strongest exposure effects are seen with photographs, meaningful words, names, and simple shapes; the smallest effects are seen with icons, people, and auditory stimuli. The exposure effect gradually weakens as the number of presentations increases—probably due to boredom.
The strongest effect is achieved when exposures are so brief or subtle that they are subliminal (not consciously processed), or when they are separated by a delay.3
The redesign of the Wall Street Journal creates a clear entry point to each edition by highlighting the region of the page containing news summaries. The summaries also act as a point of prospect, allowing readers to quickly scan for stories of interest with no competing visual barriers. Page references on select summaries act as progressive lures,
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