056Usability heuristic
User control and freedom
Users often choose system functions by mistake and need a clearly marked emergency exit to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue.
Why it matters
Undo, cancel, and dismiss paths reduce anxiety and costly errors. Feeling trapped increases reactance and abandonment, especially on mobile and in modals.
What to inspect
- Can users cancel out of destructive or long flows without losing work unintentionally?
- Are back navigation and “Close” discoverable and consistent?
- After irreversible actions, is scope clear before commitment?
- Do overlays trap focus appropriately but still offer escape?
Common anti-patterns
- Modal walls with no obvious dismiss control.
- Back button that loses form progress without warning.
- Subscriptions or purchases with no review step.
Critique prompts
- Where might someone enter this flow by accident—and how do they leave?
- What is irreversible here, and is that obvious before commit?