Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

074 Forgiveness

Designs should help people avoid errors and protect them from harm when they do occur.

Human error is inevitable, but it need not be catastrophic. Forgiveness in design helps prevent errors before they occur and minimizes the negative consequences of errors when they do occur. Forgiving designs provide a sense of security and stability, which in turn, fosters a willingness to learn, explore, and use the design.1

Common strategies for incorporating forgiveness in designs include:

• Good affordances — Physical characteristics of the design that influence its correct use (e.g., a uniquely shaped plug that can only be inserted into the appropriate receptacle).
• Reversibility of actions — Actions can be reversed if an error occurs ...