Universal Principles of UX

29

Know when to break with convention.

In 2000, human-computer interaction researcher Jakob Nielsen stated that since users spend most of their time on various sites, they prefer sites to work the same as all the other sites they already know. So according to Nielsen, as designers we have a responsibility to adhere to people’s expectations, make all interfaces standardized, and follow conventions at all times.

No thanks. I don’t want to live in a world where every single website looks the same. And with audiences having gotten a whole lot more sophisticated since Jakob Nielsen first made that statement back in 2000, there are many examples of how breaking with interface conventions not only works, but also leads to higher engagement.

When Sundar ...