Heuristic

A heuristic is an empirical rule, a mental shortcut, or a general principle used to solve a problem or make a judgment quickly, without any guarantee of being optimal, but sufficient for immediate decision-making.In UX Design, heuristic evaluation refers to an expert-based inspection method used to review an interface. Experts rely on established sets of principles (the most well-known being Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics) to identify usability issues.The goal is to verify whether the product respects the logical conventions of the human mind, such as user control and freedom, system consistency, or visibility of system status. Heuristics do not identify all usability problems, but they help uncover the most likely ones.

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Imagine you are using a file management application and accidentally delete an important folder.An interface that respects the “User Control and Freedom” heuristic will not delete the file instantly without recourse. Instead, it will display a confirmation dialog or, even better, provide an immediate “Undo” action after the operation.This “emergency exit” allows users to recover from mistakes without stress. Without this heuristic, users would feel trapped by the system, which would quickly erode trust in the tool.

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Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski: A modern reference that visually connects psychological heuristics with interface design.

Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g): The original source. Their “10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design” have remained the global standard since the 1990s.

Thinking, Fast and Slow (System 1 / System 2) by Daniel Kahneman: Essential reading for those who want to understand the deep psychological foundations behind heuristics, particularly valuable for senior profiles.

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