UX Heuristics Framework

Practical usability principles for evaluating and improving user interfaces. Based on a fundamental truth: users don't read, they scan. They don't make optimal choices, they satisfice. They don't figure out how things work, they muddle through.

Core Philosophy

"Don't Make Me Think" - Every page should be self-evident. If something requires thinking, it's a usability problem.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. When reviewing or creating user interfaces, rate them 0-10 based on adherence to the principles below. A 10/10 means full alignment with all guidelines; lower scores indicate gaps to address. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.

Krug's Three Laws of Usability

1. Don't Make Me Think

Every question mark that pops into a user's head adds to their cognitive load and distracts from the task.

Things that make users think:

• Clever names vs. clear names
• Marketing-speak vs. plain language
• Unfamiliar categories or labels
• Links that could go anywhere
• Buttons with ambiguous labels

Self-evident vs. self-explanatory:

Self-evident	Self-explanatory
"Get directions"	"Calculate route to destination"
"Sign in"	"Access your account portal"
"Add to cart"	"Proceed to purchase selection"

Goal: Self-evident. If that's impossible, self-explanatory.

2. It Doesn't Matter How Many Clicks

The myth: "Users will leave if it takes more than 3 clicks."

Reality: Users don't mind clicks if each click is:

• Painless (fast, easy)
• Obvious (no thinking required)
• Confidence-building (they know they're on the right path)

Three mindless clicks > one confusing click

3. Get Rid of Half the Words, Then Half of What's Left

Benefits of brevity:

• Reduces noise
• Makes useful content more prominent
• Makes pages shorter (less scrolling)
• Shows respect for user's time

What to cut:

• Happy-talk ("Welcome to our website!")
• Instructions that nobody reads
• "Please" and "Kindly" and polite fluff
• Redundant explanations

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The Trunk Test

A test for navigation clarity: can users answer these questions on any page?

Question	User Should Know
What site is this?	Brand/logo visible
What page am I on?	Page title/heading clear
What are the major sections?	Navigation visible
What are my options at this level?	Links/buttons clear
Where am I in the scheme of things?	Breadcrumbs/hierarchy
How can I search?	Search box findable

If users can't answer these instantly, navigation needs work.

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Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics

See: references/nielsen-heuristics.md for detailed explanations with examples.

Quick Reference

#	Heuristic	One-liner
1	Visibility of system status	Always show what's happening
2	Match between system and real world	Use user's language, not yours
3	User control and freedom	Easy undo and exit
4	Consistency and standards	Same words, same actions
5	Error prevention	Better than error messages
6	Recognition rather than recall	Show options, don't require memory
7	Flexibility and efficiency	Shortcuts for experts
8	Aesthetic and minimalist design	Remove everything unnecessary
9	Help users recognize, diagnose, recover from errors	Plain-language errors with solutions
10	Help and documentation	Searchable, task-focused, concise

Heuristic Conflicts

Heuristics sometimes contradict each other. When they do:

• Simplicity vs. Flexibility: Use progressive disclosure
• Consistency vs. Context: Consistent patterns, contextual prominence
• Efficiency vs. Error Prevention: Prefer undo over confirmation dialogs
• Discoverability vs. Minimalism: Primary actions visible, secondary hidden

See heuristic-conflicts.md for resolution frameworks.

Dark Patterns Recognition

Dark patterns violate heuristics deliberately to manipulate users:

• Forced continuity (hard to cancel)
• Roach motel (easy in, hard out)
• Confirmshaming (guilt-based options)
• Hidden costs (surprise fees at checkout)

See dark-patterns.md for complete taxonomy and ethical alternatives.

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Severity Rating Scale

When auditing interfaces, rate each issue:

Severity	Rating	Description	Priority
0	Not a problem	Disagreement, not usability issue	Ignore
1	Cosmetic	Minor annoyance, low impact	Fix if time
2	Minor	Causes delay or frustration	Schedule fix
3	Major	Significant task failure	Fix soon
4	Catastrophic	Prevents task completion	Fix immediately

Rating Factors

Consider all three:

1. Frequency: How often does it occur?
2. Impact: How severe when it occurs?
3. Persistence: One-time or ongoing problem?

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Common Usability Violations

See: references/krug-principles.md for full Krug methodology.

Navigation

Violation	Problem	Fix
Mystery meat navigation	Icons without labels	Add text labels
Too many choices	Decision paralysis	Reduce to 7±2 items
Inconsistent nav location	Users can't find it	Fixed position always
No "you are here" indicator	Lost users	Highlight current section
Broken back button	Frustration	Never break browser history

Forms

Violation	Problem	Fix
No inline validation	Submit → error → scroll	Validate on blur
Unclear required fields	Confusion	Mark optional, not required
Poor error messages	"Invalid input"	Explain what's wrong + how to fix
Too many fields	Abandonment	Remove unnecessary fields
Unexpected format requirements	Frustration	Accept all formats, normalize

Content

Violation	Problem	Fix
Wall of text	Nobody reads	Break up, add headings
Jargon	Confusion	Plain language
Missing labels	Ambiguity	Label all inputs and sections
Low contrast text	Unreadable	WCAG AA minimum (4.5:1)
Important info below fold	Missed	Move up or add anchor

Interactions

Violation	Problem	Fix
No loading indicators	"Is it broken?"	Show progress/spinner
No confirmation on delete	Accidental loss	Confirm destructive actions
Tiny tap targets	Mobile frustration	Minimum 44×44 px
Hover-only info	Mobile users miss it	Don't hide critical info
No undo	Fear of acting	Provide undo for all actions

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Quick Audit Checklist

See: references/audit-template.md for full structured template.

5-Minute Scan

Check	Pass?
Can I tell what site/page this is immediately?	[ ]
Is the main action obvious?	[ ]
Is the navigation clear?	[ ]
Can I find the search?	[ ]
Are there any dead ends?	[ ]
Does anything make me think "huh?"	[ ]

15-Minute Audit

Run through Nielsen's 10 heuristics, rating each 0-4.

User Observation (Gold Standard)

Watch 3-5 users attempt key tasks:

• Where do they hesitate?
• Where do they click wrong?
• What do they say out loud?
• Where do they give up?

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When to Use Each Method

Method	When	Time	Findings
Heuristic evaluation	Before user testing	1-2 hours	Major violations
User testing	After heuristic fixes	2-4 hours	Real behavior
A/B testing	When optimizing	Days-weeks	Statistical validation
Analytics review	Ongoing	30 min	Patterns and problems

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Common Excuses (And Reality)

Excuse	Reality
"Users will figure it out"	They won't. They'll leave.
"We need to show everything"	Prioritize. Hide complexity.
"It tested well with the team"	Team knows too much. Test with real users.
"Adding help text will fix it"	Nobody reads help text. Simplify the UI.
"Power users need all these options"	95% of users never need them. Progressive disclosure.
"It's industry standard"	Bad standards are still bad.

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Reference Files

• krug-principles.md: Full Krug methodology, scanning behavior, navigation clarity
• nielsen-heuristics.md: Detailed heuristic explanations with examples
• audit-template.md: Structured heuristic evaluation template
• dark-patterns.md: Categories, examples, ethical alternatives, regulations
• wcag-checklist.md: Complete WCAG 2.1 AA checklist, testing tools
• cultural-ux.md: RTL, color meanings, form conventions, localization
• heuristic-conflicts.md: When heuristics contradict, resolution frameworks

Further Reading

This skill is based on usability principles developed by Steve Krug and Jakob Nielsen:

• "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited" by Steve Krug
• "10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design" by Jakob Nielsen (Nielsen Norman Group)