The 15 Rules Every UX Designer Should Know 1. UX is not (only) UI User Interface is a part of User Experience 2. Know your audience User research is a natural first step in the design process 3. You are not the user Testing with real users is an essential part of the design process 4. Adapt design for short attention spans Don’t overwhelm users with too much information 5. The UX process isn’t set in stone Adapt your design process for the product you design 6. Prototype before you build a real product The design phase for digital products should include a prototyping stage 7. Use real content when designing Avoid Lorem Ipsum and dummy placeholders 8. Keep things simple and consistent The hallmark of a great user interface is simplicity and consistency 9. Recognition over recall Showing users elements they can recognize improves usability versus needing to recall items from scratch 10. Make design usable and accessible Design for a diverse set of users that will interact with your products 11. Don’t try to solve a problem yourself Design is team sport — don’t work in isolation 12. Don’t try to solve everything at once Design is an iterative process 13. Preventing errors is better than fixing them Whenever possible, design products to keep potential errors to a minimum 14. Offer informative feedback An app or website should always keep users informed about what is going on 15. Avoid dramatic redesigns Remember Weber’s Law of Just Noticeable Differences
Know the ways that your users misinterpret your intent. Know that, to them, it is not misinterpretation.