Physical Design: A perfect set of 77 UX Heuristics

Physical design, especially industrial design, has many different ways of measuring products. However, there is a need for a unified method to perform heuristic analysis for physical design.

Heuristic analysis is a fundamental part of a set of UX research methodologies. There are a variety of measurements that can be used and applied in the field of physical design, especially when used in conjunction with digital design and IoT. These overlaps also require their own methods, so having a predefined starting point to measure at least part of the project is invaluable.

It should be noted that the field UX seems to leave the field from which it actually originated: Ergonomics and Human Factors. For this reason, the common heuristics (such as the 8 golden rules of Shneiderman, Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics, ISO 9241 and others less known such as those of Weinschenk and Barker, Bastien & Scapin, etc.) are mainly focused on digital design, UI design, web design and the like.

A set of guidelines for physical product design (in addition to rules such as Fitt’s Law, Hick’s Law, Apple’s HIG, and the like) is therefore urgently needed by both researchers and designers.

In this article, we present a set of 77 UX heuristics that can be used in physical design and product design in general. These heuristics are the result of research by Seda McKilligan of Iowa State University and Shanna Daly, Colleen M. Seifert, and Richard Gonzalez from University of Michigan.

The paper, titled “Evidence-based design heuristics for idea generation,” looks at some conceptual techniques for developing new ideas for physical product design.

However, one of the most interesting aspects of this paper is that it provides a list of 77 UX heuristics that can be used in testing physical design with users.

Introduction to Physical Design Testing

The authors of the paper have a clear intention to deal in depth with methodology, which is very common (and appreciated) in academic papers. Although the paper itself contains many citations and references to external resources that elaborate on each point, it is possible to read it without these links.

They introduce the paper as follows:

How do designers successfully create novel product concepts? One suggested approach is to first generate a wide range of concepts to consider. This requires the ability to create a large number of concepts that differ from each other so that the set of concepts covers the space of possible designs. Logically, the idea generation process benefits from considering as many different concepts as possible. However, generating a diverse set of concepts can be challenging because designers tend to fixate on specific design specifications, which leads them to generate more concepts with similar features.

A number of approaches for facilitating idea generation during the early phases of conceptual design have been proposed. One approach distills knowledge about specific designs into an intermediate-level knowledge base by constructing composites from multiple examples. In Alexander’s pattern language, and Krippendorf’s design discourses, patterns common in successful design solutions are identified at a component level linking the designer to a broad range of helpful guidance. This composite knowledge about design has been referred to as heuristic knowledge. Heuristics are described as ‘mental shortcuts’ that capture cognitive strategies that may lead to solutions (though not necessarily the best one), and are ubiquitous in human reasoning. Heuristics capture important features of problem situations and solutions that tend to reoccur in experiences

Yilmaz, S., et al., Evidence-based design heuristics for idea generation, Design Studies (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2016.05.001

77 Heuristics to measure product design

As mentioned earlier, this set of heuristics includes 77 parameters. These parameters were extracted from the findings of four different studies. While the list may seem somewhat extensive and cumbersome, it is possible to extract smaller clusters of data to create heuristics that meet our needs. Moreover, the authors do this in their own list: The original list contains only 70 heuristics, but there are seven additional ones that subdivide one of the previous 70.

Again, you don’t have to follow ALL this heuristic (and you probably won’t). Just think of this list as a tool to create a well-defined set of parameters against which you can measure your product’s usability, ergonomics, innovation, and other factors you may need to consider.

Product Design Heuristics

1. Add levels
2. Add motion
3. Add natural features esplit from
4. Add to existing product
5. Adjust function through movement
6. Adjust functions for specific users
7. Align components around center
8. Allow user to assemble
9. Allow user to customize esplit from
10. Allow user to rearrange esplit from
11. Allow user to reorient
12. Animate
13. Apply mechanism in new way
14. Attach independent functional components
15. Attach product to user
16. Bend
17. Build user community
18. Change direction of access
19. Change flexibility
20. Change geometry
21. Change product lifetime
22. Change surface properties
23. Compartmentalize
24. Contextualize
25. Convert 2-D material to 3-D object
26. Convert for second function
27. Cover or wrap
28. Create service esplit from
29. Create system
30. Divide continuous surface
31. Elevate or lower
32. Expand or collapse
33. Expose interior
34. Extend surface
35. Flatten
36. Fold
37. Hollow out
38. Impose hierarchy on functions
39. Incorporate environment
40. Incorporate user input
41. Layer esplit from
42. Make components attach/detachable
43. Make multifunctional
44. Make product recyclable esplit from
45. Merge surfaces
46. Mimic natural mechanisms
47. Mirror or array
48. Nest
49. Offer optional components
50. Provide sensory feedback
51. Reconfigure
52. Redefine joints
53. Reduce material
54. Repeat 0
55. Repurpose packaging
56. Roll
57. Rotate
58. Scale up or down
59. Separate functions esplit from
60. Simplify
61. Slide
62. Stack
63. Substitute way of achieving function
64. Synthesize functions
65. Telescope
66. Twist
67. Unify
68. Use common base for components
69. Use continuous material
70. Use different energy source
71. Use human-generated power
72. Use multiple components in one function
73. Use packaging as functional component
74. Use repurposed or recycled materials
75. Utilize inner space
76. Utilize opposite surface
77. Visually distinguish functions

The heuristics in visual format

The authors have created a monochrome image series that serves as a visual aid and includes a longer explanation of each of the previous guidelines.

You can click on the images to enlarge them.

Conclusion

We think that a proper set of guidelines for product and physical design was a great need. Heuristic analysis is the parameters that guides usability testing. And as such, it must be part of any good UX researcher’s toolbox.

Fabio Devin

Fabio is Bachelor in Marketing, Master in Human Computer Interaction and a UX Evangelist.

He worked for some of the biggest companies in the world. As such, he has developed entire systems and businesses for clients of all sizes.