Table of contents

• Preface
• What is usability?

General principles

• Feedback to user
• The user should be in control
• Self-explaining interfaces
• Predictability
• Transparency
• Never interrupt the user
• Can I guess what the user wants?
• Error tolerance
• WYSIWYG
• Speak the user's language
• Avoid anthropomorphic interfaces
• Design should reflect the user's logic, not the constructor's logic
• The design of a button should reflect its importance
• Provide alternative ways out of a situation
• Surveys, Questionnaires, Forms and Option lists
• Accessibility to handicapped users
• Novices versus experienced users
• Feature Bloat
• Standardization
• Open standards

The design process

• Convincing decision makers
• User profile
• Involve users in the design
• Usability test
• Feedback from customers
• Track user behavior

Specific technical problems

References

• Recommended literature
• Recommended web sites