<aside> ℹ️ In the execution phase of UX design methodology, there are several principles that designers should follow to create a successful design solution. These principles guide designers in creating a design that is user-centric, visually appealing, ethical and easy to use.
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The Ten Principles of Interaction Design
Design principles ( See → Design Principles) are a set of guidelines that outline the philosophy and approach to creating great user experiences. They provide a consistent framework for decision-making, help create a shared vision, and enable objective evaluation of designs. Design principles are important because they help designers stay on track and create designs that are meant to be used over time. They also ensure that the quality of experience is measured over prolonged usage. By following design principles, designers can create designs that are intuitive, easy to use, and provide a positive user experience.
Design principles represent the accumulated wisdom of researchers and practitioners in design and related fields. When you apply them, you can predict how users will likely react to your design. “KISS” (“Keep It Simple Stupid”) is an example of a principle where you design for non-experts and therefore minimize any confusion your users may experience.
In user experience (UX) design, minimizing users’ cognitive loads and decision-making time is vital. The authors of Universal Principles of Design state that design principles should help designers find ways to improve usability, influence perception, increase appeal, teach users, and make effective design decisions in projects.
You need a firm grasp of users’ problems and a good eye for how users will accept your solutions to apply design principles effectively. For instance, you don’t automatically use a 3:1 header-to-text weight ratio to abide by the principle of good hierarchy. That ratio is a standard rule. Instead, a guideline you might use to implement a good hierarchy is “text should be easy to read.”
You should use discretion whenever you apply design principles to anticipate users’ needs – e.g., you judge how to guide the user’s eye using symmetry or asymmetry. Consequently, you adapt the principles to each case and build a solid experience as you address users’ needs over time.
Designers use principles such as visibility, find-ability, and learnability to address basic human behaviors. We use some design principles to guide actions. Perceived affordances such as buttons are an example. That way, we put users in control of seamless experiences.
Usability kingpin Jakob Nielsen identified ten “commandments”: