As users whiz past, increase usablilty through:
- Strong consideration to following a convention (if one exists) at every step.
- Allowing slight inconsistency if it creates clarity.
- Notice how, in newspapers, some things are prominent (the scoop), some are grouped (sections), and some are nested (paragraphs spanned by a heading). Use similar visual hierarchies.
- Clearly define areas, so users can quickly find what they want.
- Make it easy to tell what’s a link or a button.
- Keep the noise down, making sure everything isn’t shouting for attention.
- Write text optimized for scanning. Make effective use of headings, bullets, paragraphing, and highlighting.
Further readings: Letting go of the words (by Janice Redish), The design of everyday things (Donald Norman).
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