Guidelines for System Structure Design

Consider the following key principles for designing a system structure:

Adopt the user's perspective-Observe or imagine the user carrying out a certain task. The user interface should closely support that task.
Give the user control-The user should be in control of the application and always able to move on to, cancel or switch to, another part of the system.
Keep the user interface natural-The navigation of the system should be intuitive and easy to understand.
Ensure consistency throughout the applications-Consistency helps users to transfer familiar skills to new situations. Applying well-formulated corporate standards for user interface design also ensures consistency.
Keep the context of the system-If users are able to fill in six displays in any order to complete a task, they should know at any point what they have completed and what remains unfinished. This may be done by marking changes on a display, or providing a command to display all changes or the last change performed. This aids navigation through the system, and lets the user resume a task after interruption.
Use real-world metaphors-A good user interface lets the user transfer skills from real world experiences. This makes it easier for the user to infer how to use an application. Base the interface design on things with which users are familiar, such as the manual files, documents or forms they use, or their engagement diary.

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