Contents 1. Human Cognition & Behavior
How humans perceive, think, remember, and decide during interaction with the system.
These govern whether the interface can be understood at all.
Mission statement
Ensure systems respect the limits and strengths of human perception, attention, memory, and decision-making so interfaces can be understood and used with confidence.
Subcategories
1.Attention & FocusWhat users can attend to at any moment.“Does your system occupy users’ attention only when it directly advances their goals?”9 directives2.Cognitive LoadHow much mental effort interaction demands.“Does your system make users think unnecessarily during interactions?”10 directives3.RecognitionWhether users can easily recognize instead of remember.“Can users of your system interact correctly through recognition without relying on recall?”10 directives4.Mental ModelsHow users believe a system works.“Do users form accurate beliefs to predict your system’s behavior correctly?”9 directives5.MetaphorsHow abstract systems become understandable.“Does this metaphor help users understand your system without introducing false assumptions?”8 directives6.LearnabilityHow users progress from novices to competent users.“Can users of your system achieve competency quickly without long-term penalties?”9 directives7.SimplicityAn emergent outcome of disciplined design.“Do users of your system find it easy to use?”9 directives8.Decision-MakingHow users choose between options.“Can users of your system make sound choices without being overloaded or steered?”9 directives