Usability heuristics
Also called: Nielsen's heuristics, 10 usability heuristics
Broad rules of thumb for good interaction design, most famously Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics.
Definition
Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics (from Nielsen Norman Group) include visibility of system status, user control and freedom, consistency and standards, and error prevention. Evaluators review a screen against them to find problems without needing real users.
In practice
A Delete account button with no confirmation breaks the 'Error prevention' heuristic.
Learn it in context
Lessons that use this term.