Question

Distinguish between principles, guidelines and standards using examples

Answer 1

The difference between these is that standards are high in authority and limited in application, whereas design guidelines are low in authority and are more general in application.

The best user interface guidelines are high level and contain widely applicable design principles. The designer who intends to apply these principles should know which theoretical evidence supports them and apply the guidelines at an early stage of the design life cycle.

Standards Guidelines

High Authority Lower Authority

Little overlap Conflicts, overlap, trade-offs

Limited application - e.g. display area Less focused

Minimal interpretation-little knowledge required Interpretation required -expert HCI knowledge