Adoption
Consistency and Standards
Also known as: Nielsen's 4th Heuristic
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing.
Consistency and Standards is Nielsen's 4th Usability Heuristic. Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. In JTBDUX, this means following platform conventions and user mental models rather than innovating for innovation's sake. When a product violates established patterns, it creates friction that competes with the job the user is trying to get done. The heuristic is best defended with job language: 'How does this pattern help the user make progress faster?'