https://arc.net/l/quote/yansqvql
I designed a lot of software from scratch in the last decade.
While I learned to navigate the seemingly endless decisions involved in this process over time, it’s never easy.
The paradox of choice can trap even the most seasoned practitioners.
Thankfully, you can simplify the decision-making process by relying on a smart selection of industry wisdom.
You do not have to, and should not, reinvent the wheel for many common problems.
Instead, trust the expertise of those who came before you.
Allow their findings to act as heuristics, or rules of thumb, for navigating the complexity.
As a veteran creative, I’ve internalized these principles through years of practice.
However, I still reference them often to guide clients and colleagues toward making better and more confident design decisions.
There are far too many useful heuristics to roll into a single article, so today I want to highlight 10 I return to frequently.
"Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.” - Jakob Nielsen
[Jakob's Law](https://www.nngroup.com/videos/jakobs-law-internet-ux/#:~:text=Summary%3A Users spend most of,other sites they already know.) emphasizes leveraging users' familiarity and expectations to create intuitive, user-friendly interfaces.
I use Jakob’s Law to counteract the tendency to think that products are special snowflakes.