Usability Heuristics for Chatbots

Mallu Updated by Mallu

The 10 usability heuristics were created by Jakob Nielsen, a computer scientist, to assess interface usability. However, they can also be applied to chatbot usability, as we will see below.

The examples below were taken from the video "Usability Heuristics for Bots."

  1. System Status Visibility: The user should know what is happening.

  1. Match Between System and Real World: The system should speak the user’s language, instead of using
    technical terms that only make sense to developers.

  1. User Freedom and Control: Users should have the freedom to go back, skip, or advance at any stage of the system.

  1. Consistency and Standards: Users shouldn’t have to wonder if different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Use standardized language.
  2. Error Prevention: "Even better than a good error message is a careful design that prevents errors from happening."
  3. Recognition Rather Than Recall: Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user shouldn’t have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another.
  4. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use: The system should be fast for experienced users and flexible for beginners. Additionally, it should allow frequent tasks to be automated.
  5. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: Dialogues shouldn’t contain irrelevant or rarely needed information. Each extra unit of information competes with relevant information and decreases its relative visibility. Write only what’s necessary.
  6. Help Users Recognize and Recover From Errors: Error messages should be expressed in simple language (without codes), clearly indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
  7. Help and Documentation: Even if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Make it available as an option or intent.

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Good Practices for Chatbots Based on UX Writing

UX Text Standards

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