Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

105 Learnability

The ease with which a new thing can be understood and productively used.

Learnability refers to the ease with which a person can understand a new thing and perform essential functions with it. For example, a first-time user picking up an iPhone is greeted with the prompt “Swipe to open”, after a brief delay. This prompt instructs new users how to begin interactions with the device but is only presented when users hold the device for a few seconds and don’t swipe, suggesting they may not know what to do. Once learned, the prompt is rarely, if ever, seen again.1

The four pillars of learnability are:

1. Consistency — Form and function (e.g., icons, labels, colors, layout, behaviors) are applied the same way throughout, allowing ...