Usability for recurring work.
WHAT DIFFERS FROM OTHER SOFTWARE
Users return repeatedly, so efficiency matters more than first impressions They learn the product, so guidance can recede They use it while working, frequently under pressure
WHAT TO OPTIMISE FOR
The task performed most often.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Fewest steps and least friction on the common path, even at the cost of rarer ones.
WHAT TO PUT ON THE MAIN SCREEN
What the user needs to see and act on.
WHAT NOT TO PUT THERE
Everything the product can do.
WHAT NAVIGATION SHOULD REFLECT
How users think about their work, not your database structure.
WHAT CONSISTENCY REQUIRES
The same action behaving the same way everywhere.
WHAT TO PROVIDE FOR FREQUENT USERS
Keyboard shortcuts Bulk actions Saved views and filters
WHAT TO PROVIDE FOR NEW USERS
Sensible defaults Empty states explaining what to do Guidance that can be dismissed
WHAT EMPTY STATES SHOULD DO
Explain the purpose and offer the first action.
WHY THEY MATTER DISPROPORTIONATELY
They are what every new user sees first.
WHAT TO AVOID
Confirmation dialogs on routine actions Destructive actions without undo Settings pages with no organisation Errors that do not say what to do
WHAT TO TEST
Someone unfamiliar completing the core task, unaided.
