UsabilityInstitute.com
Jack Bellis, jackbellis@hotmail.com

Improving user interface design through simple communication improvements and lessons learned repeatedly in computerdom. Bellis' Law: "For every computer problem, even many hardware problems, there is a simple solution to the user interface." More...

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Specific articles showing interface problems and specific solutions

Computer User's Bill of Rights (Text Below)

Copyable Text

1. You shouldn't have to read a manual, certainly not a huge one.
2. You should be able to do things/ out of order without being penalized.
3. You should be able to make mistakes without being terminated, executed, canceled, re-booted, or erased.
4. You should be able to understand why the program does what it does.
5. You expect that all of what you type into the computer is saved, by default.
6. You expect to be forewarned when any work is over-written, undone, or erased.
7. You expect to have most of your work retained after the power is interrupted.
8. You should be able to accomplish every task and entry with the fewest possible keystrokes.

06-November-02001