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Guidelines in HCI
HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

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Laguna College MC Delos Reyes

HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Shneiderman’s Eight Golden Rules
Ben Shneiderman, an American computer scientist consolidated some implicit facts
about designing and came up with the following eight general guidelines −

 Strive for Consistency.

 Cater to Universal Usability.
 Offer Informative feedback.
 Design Dialogs to yield closure.
 Prevent Errors.
 Permit easy reversal of actions.
 Support internal locus of control.
 Reduce short-term memory load.
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Laguna College MC Delos Reyes

HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Norman’s Seven Principles
To assess the interaction between human and computers, Donald Norman in 1988
proposed seven principles. He proposed the seven stages that can be used to
transform difficult tasks. Following are the seven principles of Norman −
 Use both knowledge in world & knowledge in the head.
 Simplify task structures.
 Make things visible.
 Get the mapping right (User mental model = Conceptual model = Designed
model).
 Convert constrains into advantages (Physical constraints, Cultural constraints,
Technological constraints).
 Design for Error.
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 When all else fails − Standardize.

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HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristics evaluation is a methodical procedure to check the user interface for
usability problems. Once a usability problem is detected in design, they are attended
as an integral part of constant design processes. The heuristic evaluation method
includes
Nielsen'ssome
Tenusability principles
Heuristic such as Nielsen’s ten Usability principles.
Principles
 Visibility of system status.  Recognition rather than Recall.
 Match between system and real world.  Flexibility and efficiency of use.
 User control and freedom.  Aesthetic and minimalist design.
 Consistency and standards.  Help, diagnosis, and recovery from errors.
 Error prevention.  Documentation and Help
The ten principles of Nielsen serve as a checklist for evaluating and explaining problems
for the heuristic evaluator while auditing an interface or a product.
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Laguna College MC Delos Reyes

HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Interface Design Guidelines
General interaction, information display, and data entry are three categories of HCI
design
General guidelines.
Interaction
Guidelines for general interaction are
comprehensive advice that focuses on  Seek competence in dialogue, motion,
general instructions such as − and thought.
 Be consistent.  Excuse mistakes.
 Offer significant feedback.  Classify activities by function and
 Ask for authentication of any non-trivial establish screen geography accordingly.
critical action.  Deliver help services that are context-
 Authorize easy reversal of most actions. sensitive.
 Lessen the amount of information that
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 Use simple action verbs or short verb
must be remembered in between
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phrases to name commands.MC Delos Reyes
actions.
HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Information display
Information provided by the HCI should not
be incomplete or unclear or else the  Generate meaningful error messages.
application will not meet the requirements  Use upper and lower case, indentation,
of the user. To provide better display, the and text grouping to aid in
following guidelines are prepared − understanding.
 Exhibit only that information that is  Use windows (if available) to classify
applicable to the present context. different types of information.
 Don't burden the user with data, use a  Use analog displays to characterize
presentation layout that allows rapid information that is more easily
integration of information. integrated with this form of
 Use standard labels, standard
representation.
abbreviations and probable colors.
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 Consider the available geography of the
 Permit
Lagunathe user to maintain visual
College MC it
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display screen and use efficiently
HUMAN COMPUTER
INTERACTION
GUIDELINES IN HCI
Data Entry
The following guidelines focus on data
entry which is another important aspect of
HCI −
 Disable commands that are unsuitable
 Reduce the number of input actions in the context of current actions.
required of the user.  Allow the user to control the interactive
 Uphold steadiness between information flow.
display and data input.  Offer help to assist with all input
 Let the user customize the input. actions.
 Interaction should be flexible but also  Remove “Mickey Mouse" input.
tuned to the user's favored mode of
input.
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