Jakob Nielsen's 10 general principles for interaction design. They are called "heuristics" because they are broad rules of thumb for UX and not specific usability guidelines.
Empathy maps help UX teams visualize user attitudes and behaviors, building a shared understanding of end users while highlighting gaps in existing user data.
Modern day UX research methods answer a wide range of questions. To know when to use which method, each of 20 methods is mapped across 3 dimensions and over time within a typical product-development process.
User interviews have become a popular technique for getting user feedback, mainly because they are fast and easy. Use them to learn about users’ perceptions of your design, not about its usability.
User journeys and user flows both describe processes users go through in order to accomplish their goals, but they differ in scope, purpose, and format.
iOS 26’s visual language obscures content instead of letting it take the spotlight. New (but not always better) design patterns replace established conventions.
Elaborate usability tests are a waste of resources. The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.
In a card-sorting study, users organize topics into groups. Use this research method to create an information architecture that suits your users' expectations.
Polyhierarchy is used to place a single item in more than one IA category. This can support users with different mental models but should be used judiciously.
Misconceptions stem from a lack of understanding of DesignOps, as well as attempts to pigeonhole it. DesignOps is different from design management, it's not always a specialized role, and it should be structured differently in different organizations.
Qualitative user research aims at insights, not numbers. Metrics for individual users help tell the story of how each person did, but mean values across a small sample won't be reliable.
Some of the biggest pitfalls in running remote or hybrid UX workshops come from poor choice of remote tools, poor agendas, or not managing expectations appropriately before the meeting.
To reduce complexity in a user interface, employ progressive disclosure to defer secondary options to a subsidiary screen. This focuses users' attention on the primary options, which are the only ones shown by default.
The 6 stages of the design thinking process can be supported by a very wide range of UX methods and activities. Don't limit yourself to the most commonly mentioned methods.
Content writers should always avoid jargon, but what counts as jargon depends on your audience. Determine whether a specific word is meaningless jargon or meaningful terminology.
