Use affordance and signifiers from "summary" of Don't Make Me Think! by Steve Krug
In order to create effective design, signifiers and affordances should be utilized. Signifiers are visual cues that communicate what can be done and affordances are physical characteristics of objects that suggest how they can be used. Together, they should be used to make design intuitive for the user.- Users should be aware of what actions are possible within any given interface. It helps them interpret how to modify a product or service and learn what action they should take in response to different outputs. This is referred to as the concept of affordance.
- Using signifiers on page elements gives users an idea of what it is, its purpose, and how it can be interacted with. Examples of these could include color-coding buttons/links, letting users hover over objects or feel their shapes or textures.
- Consistent use of familiar symbols, such as angles or arrows can make it easier for users to recognize universal instructions meant to indicate a specific action like drag & drop or delete.
- Usability testing is important to help understand if the affordances and signifiers used in an interface design are successful at providing useful outputs. For example, clear labels informing users what kind of object each button represents makes it easier for users to figure out what sort of action they need to take.
- Because humans learn through trial and error, it’s important to include feedback loops that inform users when they're movements are successful. This creates mental models that allow them to recognize the mechanisms behind the interface quickly and provide more satisfying user experiences.
