The visual principles of harmony, unity, contrast, emphasis, variety, balance, proportion, repetition, texture, and movement (and others) are widely recognized and practiced, even when they aren’t formally articulated. Creating a good design doesn’t automatically mean creating a good experience. Whitney is an independent user experience designer and consults with startups and major organizations. Clients include SeamlessWeb, Boxee, House Party, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Scientific American. She is also a strategic partner with Happy Cog and an advisor to RedStamp. She writes about improving the human experience at Pleasure and Pain. @whitneyhess whitneyhess.com/blog

1. Whitney HESS Design Principles: The Philosophy of UX @whitneyhess

2. 1. Stay out of people’s way

3. 1. Stay out of people’s way

4. 2. Create a hierarchy that matches people’s needs

5. 2. Create a hierarchy that matches people’s needs

6. 3. Limit distractions

7. 3. Limit distractions

8. 4. Provide strong information scent

9. 4. Provide strong information scent

10. 5. Provide signposts and cues

11. 5. Provide signposts and cues

12. 6. Provide context

13. 6. Provide context

14. 7. Use constraints appropriately

15. 7. Use constraints appropriately

16. 8. Make actions reversible

17. 8. Make actions reversible

18. 9. Provide feedback

19. 9. Provide feedback

20. 10. Make a good first impression

21. 10. Make a good first impression