Usability basics.
THE PRINCIPLE
Visitors should never have to work out how something works. Anything requiring thought is friction, and friction loses people.
PRACTICAL RULES
Links should look like links Buttons should look like buttons The logo should link to the homepage Navigation should be in the same place on every page Forms should say what they want
DO NOT MAKE PEOPLE GUESS
Label everything. An icon without a label is ambiguous to many visitors.
ERROR MESSAGES
Say what went wrong and how to fix it. "Invalid input" helps nobody.
LOADING
Show something is happening. A button that appears to do nothing when clicked gets clicked repeatedly.
CONSISTENCY
The same action should work the same way everywhere.
MOBILE
Tap targets large enough, spaced apart, and reachable with a thumb.
TESTING
Watch someone unfamiliar use the site. Do not help them. Where they hesitate is where the problem is.
Ten minutes of this reveals more than any amount of discussion.
