Don Norman's Principles of Design
Six foundational principles from The Design of Everyday Things that focus on how people understand and interact with systems. Together, they reduce guesswork and make actions feel predictable.
-
Visibility
Make possible actions visible so users don’t have to guess what to do next. When key actions are hidden, users rely on memory or trial and error.
-
Feedback
Show the result of an action immediately so users know what just happened. Without feedback, users repeat actions or assume nothing worked.
-
Constraints
Limit what users can do at a given moment to prevent errors. Good constraints remove invalid options rather than warning after the fact.
-
Mapping
Align controls with their effects so the outcome feels predictable. When mapping is unclear, users must learn arbitrary relationships instead of relying on intuition.
-
Consistency
Use the same patterns for similar actions so users don’t have to relearn behaviour. Inconsistency forces users to stop and think.
-
Affordance
Design elements so their use is obvious from their appearance. When affordances are unclear, users rely on labels or guesswork.