Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated
by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
Control
The level of control provided by a system should be related to the proficiency and experience levels of the people using the system.
People should be able to exercise control over what a system does, but the level of control should be related to their proficiency and experience using the system. Beginners do best with a reduced amount of control, while experts do best with greater control. A simple example is when children learn to ride a bicycle. Initially, training wheels are helpful in reducing the difficulty of riding by reducing the level of control (e.g., eliminating the need to balance while riding). This allows the child to safely develop basic riding skills with minimal risk of accident or injury. Once the basic skills are mastered, ...
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