Heuristics 1 & 2: Visibility of Status & Real-World Match

Developed in 1994 by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, these ten heuristics remain the foundational evaluation rubric for interactive software:

1. Visibility of System Status

The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time:

• Example: Progress bars during uploads, breadcrumb trails indicating location, and immediate loading spinners.

2. Match Between System and the Real World

The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms:

• Example: Using 'Trash / Recycle Bin' and folder icons, avoiding technical jargon like 'SQL execution timeout'.