Reliability is often thought of as purely technical. But a fairly reliable interface can still be designed on top of a system that isn’t 100% reliable.

The system should never lose any work a user has done or any information they have entered.

All actions must be auto-saved.

It should be possible to restore large chunks of content, like pages or projects.

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4.4

Design has always been about invention. On the way to something new, designers are constantly experimenting. Even a simple design task requires figuring out how to build a coherent message out of raw content.

Design software should provide an enjoyable environment for creative work.

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A beautiful, well-crafted interface earns the trust of its users. It reassures them that the product is reliable and could be in use for a long time.

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All elements of the Readymag UI fall strictly into the 8 px grid. Thus, the UI gains an invisible consistency and clear aesthetics. The design process is determined by necessary order and restrictions.

To support problem solving, a design tool should also encourage designers to explore and venture into the unknown. In such an explorative process, a user might end up in a place where no one else has been before. The creation of something outstanding becomes possible.

A design tool should inspire its users to create. Otherwise, it is not a design tool.

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5.5

As a product grows, new features are always being added. The interface tends to get messier. As a result, users need to apply more effort to use the interface.

Complexity harms everyone.

For developers, it leads to incidents and bugs. The service delivery system becomes less reliable.

For users, it becomes time-consuming to learn and work with. The creative process slows down.

So: keep things simple. Though simplicity is one of the most important principles behind good design, it’s still one of the most neglected.

Don’t hesitate to trade off other values for simplicity. No matter how complex the overall system is, there is no excuse for complicating simple tasks.

Features are very easy to add, but almost impossible to remove.

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Join

An interface is communication.

An interface should be intelligible.

An interface should be habitual. An interface must be reliable.

A design interface should be aesthetically pleasing.

Entropy is the main enemy of an interface designer.

The best interface is no interface.

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