060Usability heuristic
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Accelerators—unseen by the novice user—may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users.
Why it matters
Novices need guidance; experts need shortcuts. Supporting both reduces frustration as users grow competent.
What to inspect
- Are there sensible defaults and progressive paths for new users?
- Are batch actions, keyboard shortcuts, or templates available for repeat tasks?
- Can frequent settings be saved or remembered?
- Does the UI avoid forcing experts through novice tutorials every time?
Common anti-patterns
- No keyboard support for dense data-entry screens.
- Forcing experts through the same long wizard on every repeat purchase.
- Hiding efficiency features so deeply that only power users who read docs find them.
Critique prompts
- How would a daily user accomplish this faster than a first-timer?
- What repetition on this screen deserves a shortcut or remembered preference?