Web usability guidelines

The most important thing if you want to make sure that your application or your site is easy to use is « Don’t make me think« . A Web page should be self-evident, obvious and self-explanatory.

There is a big difference between how we think people use websites and how they actually use them – glancing each new page, scanning some of the text, click on the first link that catches their interest. So, three facts about real-world Web use:

  1. Users don’t read pages, they scan them. They are on a mission, they don’t have to read everything.
  2. They don’t make optimal choices. They choose the first reasonable option. They are usually in a hurry, there is not much of a penalty for guessing wrong and weighing options may not improve the changes.
  3. They don’t figure out how things work. Not for lack of intelligence but for lack of caring. They forge ahead and muddle through.