PsiberTech Solutions: Rule Book: 20 Rules for UI/UX Developers

Having written the article 21 Free Coding Tools for Developers, it made sense to add research terms to UX designers and developers. I have put together 20 Must have for successful UI/UX Design in software development.

SOME PEOPLE THINK DESIGN MEANS HOW IT LOOKS. BUT IF YOU DIG DEEPER, IT'S HOW IT WORKS - STEVE JOBS

1. 3 CLICK RULE

Starting with a common point that it is very important to sustain users else they would leave a website if they couldn't reach the page they want within 3 clicks.

2. 5 SECOND TEST

A simple usability testing technique that help design teams quickly measure how a content page performs with users. The participant then has to recall what they saw on the page. This is a great method to see whether the key visuals, or calls to actions have been correct impact.

3. 80/20 RULE

This is based on the Pareto principle. Applied to any website, web app, or software environment, 20% of the functionality and features will be responsible for 80% of the results.

Pareto developed the principle by observing that about 20% of the pea pods in his garden contained 80% of the peas.

4. A/B TESTING

Randomly serving visitors two versions of a website that differ only in the design of a single button element, the relative efficiency of the two designs can be measured.

5. ACCESSIBILITY

The inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, for specially abled persons. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users have equal access to information and functionality.

6. ANALYTICS

Web analytics is not just a process for measuring web traffic but can be used as a tool for business and market research, and to assess and improve the effectiveness of a website.

7. END USERS ENGAGEMENT

End users are the people who use a website/app. User engagement is about getting user attention and keeping it. Anything that helps a user stay focused on a page or screen (whether it be a button or a menu) is crucial.

8. ENTRY FIELD

User data entry field where users make text or data entries. It should be so simple and easy for the user to access which when failed would leave a strong negative impact on the website/app.

9. FISH BONE DIAGRAM

A diagram designed to identify cause and effect relationships between factors in each situation. It is made up of a “head” which states a problem and bones along the spine which represent factors and categories of factors. The fishbone helps to visually display the potential causes for a specific problem.

10. GESTALT PRINCIPLES

This is also known as law of simplicity. These principles are organized into five categories: Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Closure, and Connectedness. This states that people don't visually perceive items in isolation, but as part of a larger whole.

11. HEART

This is a basic framework to be followed for providing customer satisfaction with the product output. Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention and Task Analysis.

12. KISS

Keep it Simple Stupid. Most systems give better performance if kept simple. Simplicity is key goal in design. Don't use flashy colors and complicated designs.

13. MINE SWEEPING

An action designed to identify where on a page links are located. Mine sweeping involves the user rapidly moving the cursor over a page, watching to see where the cursor or pointer changes to indicate the presence of a link.

14. PARTICIPATORY DESIGN

An approach to design attempting to actively involve users irrespective of the hierarchy and access rights in the design process to ensure the result meets the needs.

15. PATH

The route taken by a user as they move through a Web site should be shown by breadcrumbs. This makes the user to redirect to previous levels easily.

16. QUALITATIVE and QUANTITATIVE RESEARCHES

The study of human behavior that focuses on context and observations and numerical data or statistics. This helps in perfect analysis for the development of web/mobile apps.

17. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING

It is a group of participants that closely matches the characteristics of the target audience of the website or mobile app. Representative sampling is more profitable for apps targeting e-commerce and social networking.

18. TASK FLOW DIAGRAMS

It is a must for UX developer to have a visual representation of tasks and their interrelationship on a site/app for better understanding of the requirements.

19. TRUE INTERNET STUDIES

True internet studies measure the user experience with a website. These provide insights for improving the design by solving these questions:

· Who’s visiting?

· Why are they coming?

· What do they like or dislike?

· How well do they succeed?

20. USABILITY BENCHMARK

The smart designer has at least one response: the usability benchmark. By capturing the current level of ease of use of the current product or website, a reference point is created that can be measured against in the future.

If you have a site or product where users tell you that the site’s content pages are cluttered or confusing, this post may be just the right post to correct and improve the user experience. This toolbox of techniques gives teams information they need to create successful designs in software development. Thanks for stopping by.