What are some basic tenets of interface design? [closed]

Question

I am putting together some mock-ups of my first real interface and I am left wondering: What are some basic tenets of good user interface design? I am looking for something like a bullet list summary and maybe some resources that might be useful for each tenet.

Answer 1

"Don't make me think!", the title and the book are extremely useful when designing a UI. Some of my favorite sections from it include:

• Create a clear visual hierarchy.
• Conventions are your friend.
• Happy talk must die.
• Instructions must die.
• Four reasons why I love tabs.
• The trouble with Rollovers.
• Farmers vs. Cowmen.
• The myth of the "Average" user.

Answer 2

Nielsen provides this list - which I would generally agree with

• Visibility of system status
• Match between system and the real world
• User control and freedom
• Consistency and standards
• Error prevention
• Recognition rather than recall
• Flexibility and efficiency of use
• Aesthetic and minimalist design
• Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
• Help and documentation

Answer 3

1. Don't interrupt the user with pop-up dialogs. Show some feedback that the user can see and provide a way for them to deal with the issue when they choose to.

2. "The principle of least surprise".

3. Apply sensible defaults

4. Show response to user inputs within half a second.