Key Questions to Ask

When you realize that you are about to make a user interface decision—say, to add a feature—that is based on your goals, knowledge, and preferences rather than on the user's, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this feature help the user get his work done?
• Is the program better with or without this feature?
• Will the user understand how to use this feature?
• Will the user want to use this feature the same way I do?
• Can I satisfy more users by making this feature optional?

If adding the feature really does help the user, go for it. If not, why do it? If not all users will want to use it, make it optional. If not all users will use it the same way, make it configurable. It seems obvious, doesn't it? Yet you don't have to look hard to find programs that have unnecessary or inflexible features.