Top Design Tips to Reduce User Errors

One of our senior usability consultants, Kim Hiltz, has conducted research on how to reduce or even eliminate slip errors.  Here she offers her design tips to help you prevent and manage user errors successfully.

Have you ever started typing in a web form only to realise that you forgot to position the cursor in the text entry box first?  Or forgotten to attach an important document to an email before hitting the ‘send’ button?  Maybe you’ve accidentally left the original in the photocopier after collecting the copies.  These common mistakes are called ‘slip errors’, and they happen when you accidentally leave out a step in task that you know well.

Slip errors are particularly common at the very beginning and the very end of tasks when the user is:

• Setting-up for the main activity (such as positioning the cursor before typing)
• Cleaning-up after the main activity (such as retrieving the original from the photocopier)

Nine easy ways to prevent user errors

• Initialise all steps automatically wherever possible.   For example, automatically place keyboard focus in the first entry field of a web form.
• Set sensible default values for all configurable elements.  Use data from real users to understand what the most common cases will be, and set the defaults accordingly.
• Use lots of ‘white space’ around items, especially in menus where users have to position the mouse to accurately select a given item.  Make sure that the clickable area around items is big enough for users with reduced mobility and vision to select them accurately.
• Visually group related items together, and provide clear, concise headings.
• Make sure there is a clear task flow, and make it obvious how to progress from one step to the next.
• Clearly indicate required steps and actions.  If you use symbols to indicate required fields, make sure they are unambiguous and are located close to the corresponding field.
• Allow for common misspellings in any search options you provide.
• Provide a visual cue immediately before any step that you find is prone to ‘slip’ errors to jog the user’s memory.  For example, an email system could highlight the attachments button if a user types the word ‘attach’, ‘attached’ or ‘attachment’ into an email.
• Conduct user testing on all products, services, or websites to understand which steps are prone to errors, and use the results to improve the design. 

To err is human …

Naturally, people will still make errors even if your product has been well designed.  Don’t be discouraged, but do make sure that these errors are properly managed.

• Draw attention to any errors that have been made (for example, by highlighting them visually).
• Design your error messages carefully! 
  • make it easy to associate error messages with the mistake
  • make sure the message explains what the problem is, and also how to fix it.
• Allow users to correct errors as soon as they are detected.
• Provide an ‘undo’ option wherever possible.

For more information on how we can help you design interfaces which are efficient, effective and satisfying to use, please contact us.