Article · 7 min read

Aesthetic and Minimalist Design (Usability Heuristic #8)

Therese Fessenden · Nielsen Norman Group Free Intermediate

Argues for stripping the interface down to essentials, which pairs neatly with copying conventions: keep the common parts quiet and familiar so your one genuinely new idea has room to stand out. A practical rule for what to leave plain.

  • Every extra element competes with the thing that matters most.
  • A calm, conventional surface makes your real value more visible.
  • Restraint is how you keep familiar from turning into cluttered.
Open on nngroup.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. Should I just copy the UI patterns of apps my users already use, or does that make my product forgettable?

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