The document outlines 14 rules for creating intuitive web applications, emphasizing the importance of user-friendly design and clear navigation. Key principles include using familiar patterns, grouping related elements, limiting features, providing feedback, and ensuring consistency throughout the app. Additionally, it encourages testing with users to refine the interface and enhance user experience.

1. 14 Timeless Rules for Creating Intuitive Web Apps

2. A web app that’s difficult to figure out,
unintuitive, or inefficient is not going to
win many hearts. But designing a user-
friendly interface is hard. On top of the
usual design problems like picking the
right colors and creating a proper content
structure, you need to also be aware of
the bigger picture.

3. Don’t Reinvent
Patterns
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Use patterns you see in popular apps
to help users learn your interface.
These patterns can be
•colors (using red for errors)
•icons (envelope is a recognized
symbol for messages)
•placing (“forward” button is always
on the right-hand side)

6. Group Related
Elements
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Users should (in most cases) be able to
guess where to find a control or
information. A great way to make sure
of that is to group related objects
together. For example, features like log
out, settings, profile, switch account
belong together, so they shouldn’t be
scattered around. We can connect them
with colour, styles (same size font), or
put them in the same box.

9. Less is Better
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Feature requests will never stop. Your
app will never be perfect. But it can be
useful. And the only way to make sure
of that is by limiting the number of
features. Every button you add is
another chance for a new user to get
confused and leave. Ask yourself: If this
app only did one thing, what would it
be?

12. Plan Before
Developing
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Take some time to break down your
app into a wireframe before starting to
code. Making changes later is far from
easy. UX should be a priority before
everything else starts.
Start with user flow. Go step-by-step
from nothing to the result and skip all
the “nice to have” features.

15. Provide Feedback
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There’s nothing worse than buttons
that do nothing. To keep users from
clicking the same button five times just
because the site is loading, provide a
cue to let them know what’s going on.
This can be textual, using words like
“Loading …”, “Sending …”, or “Please
wait”, or using a loading bar.

18. Unobtrusive Help
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Your app’s interface should be as
intuitive as possible. However, users
will sometimes need a gentle push into
the right direction. It’s important to let
them learn on their own and only offer
help when it’s needed.

21. Help Users Decide
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Looking at a new interface for the first time
can be overwhelming. Help new users follow
through with the task they’re most likely to
do by adding emphasis to the “next step”.
Should they create a new project? Install
software?
You can even start with a lean UI and only
add features as the user progresses.

24. Focus On Target Users
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You should always design for your
audience. If the majority of your users
know Git, there’s really no point in also
tailoring the experience to non-techies.
At worst, you’ll clutter the interface for
everyone.

27. Where Am I?
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Don’t let your users get lost in your app.
Using elements like breadcrumbs or form
steps will help eliminate unnecessary clicks
and show hierarchy.
In simpler apps, Simply marking the current
page in the navigation will do the trick.

30. Where did that come
from?
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Instead of just displaying data, show
transition. This way, you’ll avoid
surprising users with a different
interface.

33. Design For No Data
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To make mockups look nicer and more realistic
(even if it’s just Lorem Ipsum), we design
apps with content. But that’s not what fist-time
users will see. In places where there should be a
list of files or friends there will be blank
space(sorry, I had to). We can either guide users
through creating some content or display helpful
and unobtrusive tips.

36. Keep Consistent
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One of the top principles of good UX is
keeping the interface consistent
throughout the entire app. A user has to
already learn how to use it, so why not
make it similar from screen to screen?

39. Load Quickly
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47% of consumers expect a web page to load
in 2 seconds or less.
Users are slightly easier on web apps, but
loading time is still important. Displaying a
part of the content or a loading bar is a great
way to keep users on the page.

42. Test
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There is only so much a list of tips can give
you. Your users are different — ask them
what they want and test different ideas
with A/B testing, surveys, or usability
testing.
If you want to learn more about UX and
other aspects of design, be sure to sign up
for our free email course below!

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