UXC NSTIC Principles

NSTIC DERIVED REQUIREMENTS -- Usability Principles (based on Nielsen's Usability Engineering)

Guiding Principle	NSTIC Requirement	Comments	Applicable Principles to Consider
15. Cost Effective and Easy-to-use	Availability of Identity Solutions shall be maintained by meeting appropriate service-level requirements agreed upon by the individuals and organizations that use them.	1. The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. 2. Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions. 3. Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
24. Secure and Resilient; Interoperable; Cost Effective and Easy-to-use	"Organizations shall operate in a manner that allows individuals to easily switch service providers if the organization becomes insolvent, incapable of adhering to policies, or revises their terms of service."	1. Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions."
32. Cost Effective and Easy-to-use	"Organizations shall utilize identity solutions that are simple to understand, intuitive, easy-to-use, and enabled by technology that requires minimal user training."	1. The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order. 2. Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked ""emergency exit"" to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo. 3. Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions. 4. Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate. 5. Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution. 6. Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
33. Cost Effective and Easy-to-use	"Organizations shall utilize identity solutions that are available to all individuals, and accessible to the disadvantaged and disabled."	1. The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order. 2. Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
34. Cost Effective and Easy-to-use	"Organizations shall, wherever possible, build identity solutions into online services."	1. Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions. 2. Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.