061Usability heuristic
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information competes with relevant units and diminishes their relative visibility.
Why it matters
Irrelevant content competes for attention and dilutes what matters. A restrained layout helps users complete goals with less scanning and fewer mistakes.
What to inspect
- Does each block earn its place for the primary task?
- Are secondary promos or legal copy de-emphasized or progressive?
- Is visual weight aligned with task priority (one clear focal point)?
- Could any fields or steps be removed without losing essential intent?
Common anti-patterns
- Multiple competing primary calls to action.
- Dense footnotes and banners that push core tasks below the fold.
- Decorative imagery that looks important but is not actionable.
Critique prompts
- If you removed one section, what would break—and what is merely nice-to-have?
- What draws the eye first—and is that the user’s real goal?