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101 UX Principles
101 UX Principles

101 UX Principles: A definitive design guide

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101 UX Principles

Chapter #2. Don't Use More Than Two Typefaces

Only amateurs call typefaces "fonts", you know? "Proper" design professionals call them "typefaces" Fonts are the files on the device that the software uses to render the typeface. Fonts are the paint on the palette, while the typeface is the masterpiece on the canvas.

Regardless, too often designers add too many typefaces to their products. You should aim to use two typefaces maximum: one for headings and titles, and another for body copy that is intended to be read.

Use weights and italics within that font family for emphasis—rather than switching to another family. Typically, this means using your corporate brand font as the heading, while leaving the controls, dialogs and in-app copy (which need to be clearly legible) in a more proven, readable typeface.

Using too many typefaces creates too much visual "noise" and increases the effort that the user has to put into understanding the view in front of them. What's more, many custom-designed brand...

Learning points


  • Use two typefaces maximum

  • Use one typeface for headings and titles

  • Use another typeface for body copy

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Key benefits

  • Hear insights from an author who was trained by the Nielsen Norman Group
  • Browse over 20 years of collected UX insights
  • Accept or reject 101 thought-provoking opinions on design
  • Challenge your own ideas on UX

Description

We want our UX to be brilliant. We want to create stunning user experiences. We want our UX to drive the success of our business with useful and usable software products. This book draws on the wisdom and training of Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman to help you get your UX right - in 101 ways! 101 UX Principles shows you the 101 most important things you need to know about usability and design. A practical reference for UX professionals, and a shortcut to greatness for anyone who needs a clear and wise selection of principles to guide their UX success. Learn the key principles that drive brilliant UX design. Enjoy 101 Principles including ‘Good UX has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End’, ‘Make Your Links Look Like Links’, ‘Don't Use Obsolete Icons’, ‘Decide Whether an Interaction Should Be Obvious, Easy, or Possible’, ‘Test with Real Users’, ‘Making the most of fonts’, ‘Good UX for search results’, and ‘Show your user - don't tell your user!’ “Good to read from beginning to end, and a nice dip-in-and-out text, the chapter titles reminded me of principles I don't even think about explicitly when I likely should. The book inspired me to start more explicitly articulating some of the principles I just take for granted.” - Elizabeth Churchill, Director of User Experience at Google “This is a great practical read. It is convenient to use as a reference when solving real UX problems. I would definitely recommend it as an introduction to UX, but also as a good reminder of best practices for more experienced designers.” - Anne-Marie Léger, Designer at Shopify Some more of the 101 UX Principles featured in this book: Work with user expectations not against them How to build upon established metaphors How to arrange navigation elements How to introduce new ideas to your user Matching pagination and content structure When invention is not good for UX Striving for simplicity Reducing user tasks What to make clickable Making the most of fonts Making your links look like links Picking the right control for the job Data input and what users care about How to handle destructive user actions When color should not convey information Tappable areas and the size of fingers Getting payment details the right way Use the standard e-commerce pattern If you really must use a flat design When to use progress bars or spinners Dropdowns the right and wrong way Handling just-off-screen content How to do Hamburger menus right When to hide Advanced Settings Good UX for Notifications

Who is this book for?

This book is for UX professionals (freelance or in-house) looking for shortcuts to making software that users intuitively know how to use across web, desktop, and mobile.

What you will learn

  • Use typography well to ensure that text is readable
  • Design controls to streamline interaction
  • Create navigation which makes content make sense
  • Convey information with consistent iconography
  • Manage user input effectively
  • Represent progress to the user
  • Provide interfaces that work for users with visual or motion impairments
  • Understand and respond to user expectations

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Aug 31, 2018
Length: 414 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788837361

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Product Details

Publication date : Aug 31, 2018
Length: 414 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788837361

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Table of Contents

102 Chapters
Anyone Can Be a User Experience (UX) Professional Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Use More Than Two Typefaces Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Users Already Have Fonts on Their Computers, So Use Them Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
USE TYPE SIZE TO DEPICT INFORMATION HIERARCHY Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use a Sensible Default Size for Body Copy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use an Ellipsis to Indicate That There's a Further Step Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Your Buttons Look Like Buttons Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Buttons a Sensible Size and Group Them Together by Function Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make the Whole Button Clickable, Not Just the Text Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Invent New, Arbitrary Controls Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Search Should be a Text Field with a Button Labeled "Search" Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Sliders Should Be Used Only for Non-Quantifiable Values Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use Numeric Entry Fields for Precise Integers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Use a Drop-Down Menu If You Only Have a Few Options Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Allow Users to Undo Destructive Actions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Think About What's Just off the Screen Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use "Infinite Scroll" for Feed–Style Content Only Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If Your Content Has a Beginning, Middle, and End, Use Pagination Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If You Must Use Infinite Scroll, Store the User's Position and Return to It Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make "Blank Slates" More Than Just Empty Views Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make "Getting Started" Tips Easily Dismissable Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
When a User Refreshes a Feed, Move Them to the Last Unread Item Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Hide Items Away in a "Hamburger" Menu Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Your Links Look Like Links Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Split Menu Items Down into Subsections, so Users Don't Have to Remember Large Lists Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Hide "Advanced" Settings From Most Users Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Repeat Menu Items in the Footer or Lower Down in the View Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use Consistent Icons Across the Product Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Use Obsolete Icons Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Try to Depict a New Idea With an Existing Icon Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Never Use Text on Icons Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Always Give Icons a Text Label Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Emoji are the Most Recognized Icon Set on Earth Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use Device-Native Input Features Where Possible Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Obfuscate Passwords in Fields, but Provide a "Show Password" Toggle Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Always Allow the User to Paste into Password Fields Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Attempt to Validate Email Addresses Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Ever Clear User-Entered Data Unless Specifically Asked To Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pick a Sensible Size for Multiline Input Fields Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Ever Make Your UI Move While a User is Trying to Use It Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use the Same Date Picker Controls Consistently Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pre-fill the Username in "Forgot Password" Fields Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Be Case-Insensitive Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If a Good Form Experience Can Be Delivered, Your Users will Love Your Product Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Validate Data Entry as Soon as Possible Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If the Form Fails Validation, Show the User Which Field Needs Their Attention Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Be Forgiving – Users Don't Know (and Don't Care) How You Need the Data Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pick the Right Control for the Job Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Allow Users to Enter Phone Numbers However They Wish Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use Drop Downs Sensibly for Date Entry Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Capture the Bare Minimum When Requesting Payment Card Details Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make it Easy for Users to Enter Postal or ZIP Codes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Add Decimal Places to Currency Input Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make it Painless for the User to Add Images Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use a "Linear" Progress Bar if a Task will Take a Determinate Amount of Time Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Show a "Spinner" if the Task Will Take an Indeterminate Amount of Time Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Never Show an Animated, Looping Progress Bar Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Show a Numeric Progress Indicator on the Progress Bar Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Contrast Ratios Are Your Friends Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If You Must Use "Flat Design" then Add Some Visual Affordances to Controls Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Avoid Ambiguous Symbols Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Links Make Sense Out of Context Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Add "Skip to Content" Links Above the Header and Navigation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Only Use Color to Convey Information Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If You Turn Off Device Zoom with a Meta Tag, You're Evil Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Give Navigation Elements a Logical Tab Order Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Write Clear Labels for Controls Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Let Users Turn off Specific Notifications Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Tappable Areas Finger-Sized Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A User's Journey Should Have a Beginning, Middle, and End Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
The User Should Always Know at What Stage They Are in Any Given Journey Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use Breadcrumb Navigation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
If the User is on an Optional Journey, Give Them a Control to "Skip This" Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Users Don't Care About Your Company Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Follow the Standard E-Commerce Pattern Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Show an Indicator in the Title Bar if the User's Work is Unsaved Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Nag Your Users into Rating Your App Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Use a Vanity Splash Screen Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make Your Favicon Distinctive Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Add a "Create from Existing" Flow Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Make it Easy for Users to Pay You Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Categorize Search Results into Sections Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Your Users Probably Don't Understand the File System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Show, Don't Tell Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Be Consistent with Terminology Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use "Sign in" and "Sign out", Not "Log in" and "Log out" Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
"Sign up" Makes More Sense Than "Register" Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Use "Forgot Password" or "Forgotten Your Password", Not Something Obscure Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Write Like a Human Being Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Choose Active Verbs over Passive Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Search Results Pages Should Show the Most Relevant Result at the Top of the Page Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pick Good Defaults Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Confound Users' Expectations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Reduce the Number of Tasks a User Has to Complete by Using Sensible Defaults Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Build Upon Established Metaphors – It's Not Stealing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Decide Whether an Interaction Should Be Obvious, Easy, or Possible Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
"Does it Work on Mobile?" is Obsolete Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Messaging is a Solved Problem Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Brands Are Bullshit Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Don't Join the Dark Side Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Test with Real Users Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Bonus – Strive for Simplicity Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.7
(19 Ratings)
5 star 42.1%
4 star 21.1%
3 star 15.8%
2 star 10.5%
1 star 10.5%
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Tom & Kate Dec 28, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Exactly what I was looking for! I’m less than one year into a UX career and was looking for an organized, effective learning tool to go with my classes. Super easy read, touched on important topics and wasn’t too advanced for a beginner.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
montserrat leon ramos Dec 30, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
un vademecum del ux
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Logan Feb 25, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book- always find myself coming back to it.Nice to the point, lots of good info and quick reference. Glad I picked this up, wish I got it sooner, but it’s still def part of the go-to Arsenal books for now and immediate future.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Anne-Marie Leger Jan 10, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a great practical read for any professional who want to learn how to design successful digital products. It covers a lot of fundamental concepts, all supported by specific examples, technical considerations, common design mistakes and the author’s expert opinion. Each principle is short, easy to read and ends with key learning points. The breakdown by topic (Typography, Iconography, Forms, etc.) makes it convenient to use as a reference when solving real UX problems. I would definitely recommend it as an introduction to UX, but also as a good reminder of best practices for more experienced designers.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Chris R. Becker - Sr. UX Designer Jan 29, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
101 UX principles is a great refresher in the knowledge every UX designer (new or old) should know. Clearly written to help designers pick up and reference UX best practices, the book is packed with UX gems. 101 UX Principles allows the reader to understand both context of why it is a principle as wells as its application from typography to user interface. The references feel relevant and modern and the principles althought could be read front to back (1-101) are easily referenced through a table of contents or even just by flipping through the book. This should be in every UX Designers library.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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