Moo.com UX rules
Internal UX rules from Moo.com circa 2008, covering everything from page structure to help text and user confidence.
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Optimise for the common case
Adding features for a small number of users confuses everyone else. Build for the majority first.
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Build tools that focus on meeting one simple need
Each tool should do one thing well. Complexity comes from combining simple tools, not building complicated ones.
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Build tools for users without experience
Design for people who’ve never used the product before. Experienced users will figure it out.
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Users needs are not always the same as the features they ask for
Listen to what users are trying to achieve, not the specific solutions they suggest.
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One action per page
Each page should have one clear purpose. Multiple competing actions create confusion.
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Context is more important than consistency
What works in one situation may not work in another. Adapt to context rather than forcing uniformity.
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Optimise for average user's return rate
Design for how often typical users actually come back, not power users or one-time visitors.
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Make pages functionally readable
Users should understand what a page does at a glance. Structure content for scanning.
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Only tell people things once per page
Repeating information wastes attention. Say it once, clearly, in the right place.
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Contextual help is best
Help should appear where and when it’s needed, not hidden in separate documentation.
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Let people teach themselves
Design interfaces that are learnable through exploration rather than requiring instruction.
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Keep the user path as short as possible
Every extra step is a chance to lose someone. Remove unnecessary pages and clicks.
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Make decisions for people
Good defaults reduce cognitive load. Only ask users to decide when it genuinely matters.
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Make people confident in their actions
Users should feel certain about what will happen before they click. Remove ambiguity.
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Pages make sense before and after action
The page state should be clear whether the user has just arrived or just completed something.
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State should always be maintained between pages
Never lose user progress when they navigate. Preserve their work and selections.
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Make sure pages content can be linked to forever
URLs should be permanent. If pages must be removed, redirect to somewhere useful.