Itqualityassurance
- What is error prevention?
- What is an example of error prevention in Nielsen's Ten heuristics?
- What should you avoid doing to prevent user errors?
What is error prevention?
Essentially, it involves alerting a user when they're making an error, with the intention to make it easy for them to do whatever it is they are doing without making a mistake. The main reason this principle of error prevention is important is that we humans are prone to- and will always make mistakes.
What is an example of error prevention in Nielsen's Ten heuristics?
5) Error prevention
This Nielsen heuristic proposes that a good design should always prevent problems from occurring. Think of a delete files button, for example. We must assume that users might accidentally click this button or that they can imagine a different result from it.
What should you avoid doing to prevent user errors?
Prevent mistakes by helping the user to build a good mental model of your interface. Use design patterns that communicate how they work to users, encourage users to double-check their work (especially before deleting), and warn before mistakes are made.
