Let’s see how they improve our work 🎉

If you apply platform standards correctly in a product, the chances of arriving at good usability are higher than when all-new interactions are created from scratch. The benefits of using guidelines mostly overlap with those of good usability. Even so, I’ll explain its impact on all fronts.

For the user

Simply put, interfaces that follow guidelines are easier to use. Users can (subconsciously) apply existing mental models, thereby reducing cognitive strain. They know a button is a button because of its location, appearance, and behavior. The experience becomes intuitive for them.

If the product also provides utility, this combination makes them consider it valid. Users can extract all possible values, so they’ll unlikely forget it on their last home screen page.

For the business

Using guidelines can accelerate the development of ideas and increase customer satisfaction. Fewer iterations lead to savings. Ease of use, if combined with utility, can lead to higher adoption rates.

Since I’m making the business case, let me go into data:

• 68% of users sometimes leave a website because of poorly designed UX;
• Every “$1 invested in ease of use returned between $10 and $100”;
• 86% of consumers will pay more for a better customer experience.

To see more numbers and sources for these, head over here.