The whole category in one page.
DESIGN IS DECISIONS, NOT DECORATION
What to include, what to leave out, what is most important, and what the defaults are.
Judged by whether people complete the task, not by how it looks.
THE CENTRAL ERROR
Assuming users resemble you. You built it, so you cannot judge whether it is obvious.
Watching five people attempt the task reveals most problems, and takes an afternoon.
DESIGN THE STATES PEOPLE ACTUALLY MEET
Empty, loading, error, and far more content than expected.
The empty state is the first thing every new user sees, and is usually designed last or not at all.
USE REAL CONTENT, ON A REAL PHONE, ON MOBILE DATA
Placeholder text hides every problem real content will cause, and a designer's screen hides everything about how people actually use it.
THE FOUR THINGS THAT FIX MOST ACCESSIBILITY PROBLEMS
Contrast, keyboard access, labels on every control, and real headings in order.
Never let colour carry meaning alone, and never remove the focus indicator.
ON FORMS
Remove fields first — each one costs completions. Labels above, never placeholders as labels.
Preserve everything entered, always. Losing it is the most damaging failure an interface can inflict.
WHAT TO BE ABLE TO DO FOR EVERY ELEMENT
Explain why it is there. Anything you cannot justify should go.
