7 Elements of Good Design
Smashing Magazine has a very good article today on the 7 Essential Guidelines for Functional Design. Although the article was aimed at website design, they also reference the fact that these principals apply to design of everything including screwdrivers. Here’s a summary:
- Consider the product’s goal - Remember specifically what the intended use of the product will eventually be.
- Consider who will be using it - Bear in mind who mainly will be using the product and design for them. For example, if children are expected to use it make sure they will be able to understand how.
- Consider what your users intend to do with it - If they want to accomplish a certain task with your product, don’t make it too difficult. Smashing makes the analogy of programming VCR’s, and how Tivo was able to make that process much more intuitive.
- Is it clear how to use it? - Your users should know how to use your product without a manual. If your users are tech savvy, then it’s OK if it’s at their level, but if your users are not, it had better be simple.
- How does your user know it’s working? - A good example of poor design is not having an indicator to show that the button pressed worked, like indicator lights on gadgets or confirmation emails on website forms.
- Is it engaging to your users? - A well designed product makes you actually want to use it, to build something, to drive it, to taste it, etc.
- How does it handle mistakes? - End users will make mistakes in using it without fail, make sure that mistakes are not fatal to the product, it’s intended use (or the user!).