Part III: UX Design Guidelines

A short list of simple rules.

This part is the most controversial. We should be careful in writing rules, as if we write too many of them, they’d start writing ourselves. It is a bit Orwellian, isn’t it?

1. Prioritise embedding functions in tools (artifacts) over implementing buttons, info panels.

2. For each element, decide: should it be a part of the world, or a part of the assistance

3. For a world object or effect, be consistent:

   1. It should have a logical place in the world.

   2. Everyone* should be able to see it at the same position, of the same size, looking in general the same.

   3. Its form should provide the direct affordance to its use.

   4. Its visual/audio design should follow the in-world visual/audio guidelines.

4. For an assistance, be contextual and convenient:

   1. It should be visible only to the user it is assisting (other users could also see the same or similar assistance, but for them it might look differently or displayed in a different position to achieve convenience).

   2. It should be of comfortable size and at comfortable distance for that user.

   3. It should always be facing the user it assisting.

   4. Its visual/audio design should follow the UI visual/audio guidelines.

There is an asterisk for so called ‘invisible objects’ that are only visible while wearing specific tools like decorators.