Basics
Rules & Laws
Conventions
Psychology
Tools
100

The properties of the design or object signal how to use it. 

What are affordances? 

100

This rule explains why most users only use a fraction of the functions. 

What is the 80/20 Rule? (aka the Pareto Principle)

100

Clicking _______ will always take you home.

What is the logo. 

100

Users make snap like/no-like decisions. This bias explains why they look for evidence to support that initial feeling.

What is confirmation bias?

100

Used as user archetypes to direct design decisions.

What is a persona?

200

The relationship between a control and an outcome.

What is mapping?

200

This law explains why people can keep 7 (plus/minus 2) items in short-term memory.

What is Miller's Law?

200

Contact information is always found here. 

What is the footer?

200

Exposure to one stimulus influences a subsequent response to a different stimulus.

What is priming?

200

This user-centric tool is used to evaluate the usefulness of a design.

What is a usability study?

300

From big to small to denote more important to less important. 

What is Hierarchy?

300

This law explains why the time a user takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choice available. 

What is Hick's Law?

300

The ______ navigation is for content, not utility and it typically persists throughout the website.

What is the main navigation? ("global" works too)

300

When several alike objects are present, the one that differs is the one that's most likely to be remembered.

What is the Isolation Effect? AKA Von Restorff Effect.

300

This layout tool demonstrates what interface elements and content is planned for key pages/screens.

What are wireframes? 

400

_____-____ design is when you create from the user's perspective.

What is "user-centric"?

400

This law shows why it is faster to hit larger targets closer to you than smaller targets further away from you.

What is Fitt's Law?

400

Used to show where you are, not where you've been.

What are breadcrumbs?

400

When the brain fills the missing parts of the design or image to create a whole.

What is Closure? (a Gestal Principle)

400

This type of diagram illustrates the discrete steps and logic users follow across an interactive process.

What is a workflow diagram?

500

This concept explains why users erroneously perceive prettier designs to be easier to use.

What is the Aesthetic-Usability Effect?

500

This effect explains why users tend to remember the first and last item in a list.

What is The Serial Position Effect?

500

What changes on the screen to show the object is clickable or editable.

What is the cursor?

500
This theory explains why we feel loss twice as much as gains.

What is Prospect Theory?

500

This paper-based or interactive low-effort, low-fidelity tool models how the user moves through a process. 

What is prototyping?

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