Back to Details

don-norman-principles-audit

Compare original and translation side by side

🇺🇸

Original

English
🇨🇳

Translation

Chinese

Don Norman Principles UX Audit

基于Don Norman设计原则的UX审核

This skill enables AI agents to perform a human-centered evaluation of usability and intuitiveness for apps, websites, or digital interfaces using Don Norman's 7 fundamental design principles from The Design of Everyday Things.
The principles emphasize discoverability, natural perception, and cognitive load reduction. Use this skill to detect intuitive frustrations (like digital "Norman doors"), improve user experience, and propose redesigns.
Combine with "Nielsen Heuristics UX Audit" or "UX Audit and Rethink" skills for comprehensive audits.
该技能支持AI Agent借助《设计心理学》（The Design of Everyday Things）中Don Norman提出的7项基础设计原则，对应用、网站或数字界面的可用性与直观性开展以人为中心的评估。
这些原则强调可发现性、自然感知与认知负荷降低。使用该技能可以检测直观性痛点（比如数字版"诺曼门"）、优化用户体验并提出重设计方案。
可结合"Nielsen启发式UX审核"或"UX审核与重构"技能开展全面审核。

When to Use This Skill

何时使用该技能

Invoke this skill when:
  • Evaluating the intuitiveness of an interface
  • Identifying usability problems from a human-centered perspective
  • Assessing how naturally users can discover and use features
  • Auditing digital products for cognitive friction
  • Planning UX improvements based on fundamental design principles
在以下场景调用该技能：
  • 评估界面的直观性
  • 从以人为中心的视角识别可用性问题
  • 评估用户能否自然地发现并使用功能
  • 审核数字产品的认知摩擦
  • 基于基础设计原则规划UX优化方案

Inputs Required

所需输入

When executing this audit, gather:
  • interface_description: Detailed interface description (purpose, users, key flows, platform: web/mobile) [REQUIRED]
  • screenshots_or_links: URLs of screenshots, wireframes, or live site/app [OPTIONAL]
  • user_tasks: Representative user tasks (e.g., "log in", "add to cart", "navigate menu") [OPTIONAL]
  • existing_feedback: User comments or pain points [OPTIONAL]
执行审核时，需收集以下信息：
  • interface_description：详细的界面描述（用途、用户群体、核心流程、平台：网页/移动端）【必填】
  • screenshots_or_links：截图、线框图或在线站点/应用的URL【可选】
  • user_tasks：代表性用户任务（例如："登录"、"加入购物车"、"导航菜单"）【可选】
  • existing_feedback：用户评论或痛点【可选】

The 7 Principles (Standard Edition)

7项核心原则（标准版）

Evaluate against these principles from Don Norman's revised edition:
对照Don Norman修订版著作中的以下原则进行评估：

1. Discoverability

1. 可发现性

Can users determine what actions are possible and the current system state just by looking?
  • The design must make action possibilities visible from the start
  • Users shouldn't need to hunt for features or guess what's possible
用户仅通过观察就能判断系统支持哪些操作以及当前状态吗？
  • 设计必须从一开始就让可执行操作清晰可见
  • 用户无需费力寻找功能或猜测可执行的操作

2. Affordance

2. 功能可见性

Do elements naturally suggest their possible use?
  • Buttons should look pressable
  • Sliders should invite sliding
  • Physical or perceived properties that determine use
界面元素是否能自然暗示其可用用途？
  • 按钮应看起来可点击
  • 滑块应引导用户进行滑动操作
  • 由物理或感知属性决定用途

3. Signifiers

3. 符号

Are there clear signals (icons, labels, colors) indicating where and how to act?
  • Explicit cues that complement affordances
  • Visual, auditory, or tactile indicators of what actions to take
是否有清晰的信号（图标、标签、颜色）指示操作的位置与方式？
  • 补充功能可见性的明确提示
  • 视觉、听觉或触觉形式的操作指引

4. Feedback

4. 反馈

Does the system respond immediately to each action, informing what happened and the new state?
  • Must be complete, continuous, and understandable
  • Users should never wonder "did that work?"
系统是否会对每个操作立即做出响应，告知用户操作结果与新状态？
  • 反馈必须完整、持续且易于理解
  • 用户不应产生"刚才的操作生效了吗？"的疑问

5. Mapping

5. 映射

Do controls logically correspond with their effects?
  • Natural relationships (spatial, analogical) between actions and results
  • Intuitive layout that matches mental models
控件与其产生的效果是否存在逻辑对应关系？
  • 操作与结果之间的自然关联（空间、类比）
  • 符合用户心智模型的直观布局

6. Constraints

6. 约束

Are possible actions limited to prevent errors?
  • Physical, logical, semantic, or cultural constraints
  • Guide users toward correct actions by eliminating wrong ones
是否通过限制可执行操作来预防错误？
  • 物理、逻辑、语义或文化层面的约束
  • 通过排除错误操作引导用户执行正确操作

7. Conceptual Models

7. 概念模型

Does the design support a coherent and consistent mental model of the system?
  • Users should form intuitive understanding of how it works
  • Align with user expectations and prior experiences
设计是否支持用户形成连贯、一致的系统心智模型？
  • 用户应能直观理解系统的工作方式
  • 与用户预期及过往经验保持一致

Audit Procedure

审核流程

Follow these steps iteratively, simulating real user interaction:
模拟真实用户交互，按以下步骤迭代执行：

Step 1: Preparation

步骤1：准备工作

  1. Analyze 
    interface_description
    , 
    screenshots_or_links
    , and 
    user_tasks
    to understand context and flows
  2. Define 3-5 key tasks if not provided
  3. Review the 7 principles listed above
  1. 分析
    interface_description
    、
    screenshots_or_links
    与
    user_tasks
    以理解场景与流程
  2. 若未提供用户任务，定义3-5项核心任务
  3. 回顾上述7项设计原则

Step 2: Principle-by-Principle Evaluation

步骤2：逐项原则评估

For each of the 7 principles:
  1. Examine the interface and tasks thoroughly
  2. Identify compliance or violations with evidence:
    • Specific screens, steps, or behaviors
    • Quote or screenshot problematic areas
  3. Assign severity:
    • Catastrophic: Prevents intuitive use or causes severe errors
    • High: Significant friction or frequent confusion
    • Medium: Annoying but surmountable
    • Low: Minor or cosmetic issue
  4. Propose 1-3 concrete recommendations (e.g., "Add magnifying glass icon as signifier for search")
针对每一项原则：
  1. 检查界面与任务细节
  2. 识别符合或违反原则的情况并提供证据：
    • 具体界面、步骤或行为
    • 引用或截图问题区域
  3. 划分严重程度：
    • 灾难性：阻碍直观使用或引发严重错误
    • 高：显著摩擦或频繁困惑
    • 中：虽烦人但可解决
    • 低：轻微或外观问题
  4. 提出1-3项具体改进建议（例如："添加放大镜图标作为搜索功能的符号"）

Step 3: Synthesis and Prioritization

步骤3：汇总与优先级排序

  1. Group related problems (e.g., lack of feedback + poor mapping)
  2. Prioritize by: severity + frequency + impact on critical tasks
  3. Calculate overall score (approximate % of principles well-met)
  4. Suggest next steps: user testing, Design Thinking iteration
  1. 归类相关问题（例如：缺乏反馈 + 映射不合理）
  2. 按严重程度 + 发生频率 + 对核心任务的影响排序
  3. 计算整体得分（大致符合原则的百分比）
  4. 建议后续步骤：用户测试、设计思维迭代

Step 4: Final Report Structure

步骤4：最终报告结构

Provide a clear, structured report:
提供清晰、结构化的报告：

Executive Summary

执行摘要

  • Main strengths
  • Key weaknesses
  • Overall human-centered score (1-10 or qualitative)
  • 核心优势
  • 主要不足
  • 整体以人为中心设计得分（1-10分或定性描述）

Detailed Evaluation by Principle

分原则详细评估

For each principle:
  • Compliance level: Excellent / Good / Fair / Poor
  • Evidence: Specific examples with screenshots/descriptions
  • Violations found: Detailed description
  • Severity: Catastrophic / High / Medium / Low
  • Recommendations: Actionable improvements
针对每一项原则：
  • 符合度：优秀 / 良好 / 一般 / 差
  • 证据：带截图/描述的具体示例
  • 违反情况：详细描述
  • 严重程度：灾难性 / 高 / 中 / 低
  • 改进建议：可落地的优化方案

Prioritized Issues List

优先级问题列表

  1. Most critical issues first
  2. Include: principle violated, severity, affected tasks, recommendation
  1. 最关键问题优先
  2. 包含：违反的原则、严重程度、受影响任务、改进建议

Redesign Suggestions

重设计建议

  • Concrete design improvements
  • Quick wins vs. long-term changes
  • Alternative interaction patterns
  • 具体的设计改进方案
  • 快速优化项 vs 长期改进项
  • 替代交互模式

Limitations

局限性

  • Note this is an expert evaluation simulation
  • Recommend validation with real users
  • Suggest follow-up user testing methods
  • 说明这是模拟专家评估
  • 建议通过真实用户验证结果
  • 推荐后续用户测试方法

Example Violations to Watch For

需关注的典型违反情况

Classic "Norman Doors" in Digital Interfaces:

数字界面中的经典"诺曼门"：

  • Discoverability: Hidden navigation, invisible buttons, features users can't find
  • Affordance: Links that don't look clickable, buttons that look disabled when active
  • Signifiers: Missing icons, unclear labels, no visual cues for interactivity
  • Feedback: Actions with no confirmation, loading without indicators, silent errors
  • Mapping: Controls far from their effects, illogical groupings, counter-intuitive layouts
  • Constraints: Allowing invalid inputs, no prevention of destructive actions, unclear boundaries
  • Conceptual Models: Inconsistent behavior, breaking conventions, confusing metaphors
  • 可发现性：隐藏式导航、不可见按钮、用户无法找到的功能
  • 功能可见性：看起来不可点击的链接、处于激活状态但显示为禁用的按钮
  • 符号：缺失图标、模糊标签、无交互视觉提示
  • 反馈：操作无确认、加载无指示器、静默错误
  • 映射：控件与效果距离过远、分组不合理、反直觉布局
  • 约束：允许无效输入、未预防破坏性操作、边界模糊
  • 概念模型：行为不一致、打破惯例、隐喻混淆

Output Format

输出格式

Structure your audit report as:
markdown
undefined
按以下结构整理审核报告：
markdown
undefined

Don Norman Principles UX Audit Report

Don Norman Principles UX Audit Report

Executive Summary

Executive Summary

[Overall assessment]
Overall Score: [X/10] Critical Issues: [number] High Priority Issues: [number]
[Overall assessment]
Overall Score: [X/10] Critical Issues: [number] High Priority Issues: [number]

Principle Evaluations

Principle Evaluations

1. Discoverability

1. Discoverability

Score: [rating] Violations: [list] Recommendations: [list]
[Repeat for all 7 principles]
Score: [rating] Violations: [list] Recommendations: [list]
[Repeat for all 7 principles]

Prioritized Issues

Prioritized Issues

  1. [Issue] - [Severity] - [Principle]
    • Impact: [description]
    • Recommendation: [action]
  1. [Issue] - [Severity] - [Principle]
    • Impact: [description]
    • Recommendation: [action]

Redesign Suggestions

Redesign Suggestions

[Concrete improvements organized by impact]
[Concrete improvements organized by impact]

Next Steps

Next Steps

[Recommended actions for validation and improvement]
undefined
[Recommended actions for validation and improvement]
undefined

Best Practices

最佳实践

  1. Be Specific: Use concrete examples, not vague statements
  2. Show Evidence: Reference specific UI elements, flows, or interactions
  3. Prioritize Ruthlessly: Focus on issues that truly impact usability
  4. Propose Solutions: Don't just identify problems—suggest fixes
  5. Consider Context: Mobile vs. desktop, novice vs. expert users
  6. Stay Objective: Base findings on principles, not personal preference
  7. Validate: Recommend user testing to confirm findings
  1. 具体明确：使用具体示例，避免模糊表述
  2. 提供证据：引用具体UI元素、流程或交互
  3. 严格优先级排序：聚焦真正影响可用性的问题
  4. 提出解决方案：不仅识别问题，还要建议修复方案
  5. 考虑场景：区分移动端与桌面端、新手与专家用户
  6. 保持客观：基于原则得出结论，而非个人偏好
  7. 验证结果：推荐通过用户测试确认发现的问题

Combining with Other Audits

与其他审核技能结合使用

  • Nielsen Heuristics: For comprehensive usability evaluation
  • WCAG Accessibility: For inclusive design compliance
  • 7 UX Factors (IxDF): For holistic experience assessment
  • Cognitive Walkthrough: For task-specific deep dives
  • Nielsen启发式审核：开展全面可用性评估
  • WCAG无障碍标准：确保包容性设计合规
  • 7项UX因素（IxDF）：进行整体体验评估
  • 认知走查：针对特定任务开展深度分析

Reference

参考资料

Based on Don Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things" (Revised Edition) Principles: Discoverability, Affordance, Signifiers, Feedback, Mapping, Constraints, Conceptual Models
Adapted for digital interface evaluation in alignment with modern UX standards (2026).
基于Don Norman所著《设计心理学》（修订版） 核心原则：可发现性、功能可见性、符号、反馈、映射、约束、概念模型
已适配现代UX标准（2026）的数字界面评估需求。

Version

版本

1.0 - Initial release
Remember: This is a simulated expert evaluation. Always validate findings with real users through usability testing, interviews, and analytics.
1.0 - 初始发布
注意：这是模拟专家评估。请始终通过可用性测试、用户访谈与数据分析验证发现的问题。