"Give directions on what to do first: type here, drag an image here, tap here to begin, and so forth."

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

This term comes from a combination of the words satisfying and sufficing. It was created in 1957 by the social scientist Herbert Simon. It refers to the idea that people are willing to accept something that is "good enough" if it saves time and effort. People don't typically look at every single option they have, analyze it, then pick the best one. Instead they try to save time by scanning their list of options quickly, and then picking the first one they think might work. This behavior is also related to the idea that there is a tradeoff between time spent collecting information and time spent making decisions. Designers should try to reduce visual complexity whenever possible in order to mitigate the cognitive cost on users and, in turn, their need to "satisfice."

Satisficing

Designing Interfaces, 3rd Edition
by Aynne Valencia; Charles Brewer; Jenifer Tidwell
Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2020

Designing Interfaces, 3rd Edition

Use "calls to action" in the interface

Create labels so that a user’s first guess about the meaning is correct in order to reduce frustration and increase the ease of completing a task.

Make labels short, plainly worded, and quick to read

Humans can “parse” color and form of different elements that appear on a site. These color and form cues are perceived by users much more efficiently than labels which require reading. When possible, designers should use form and color to cue users, rather than relying on written explanations.

Use layout to communicate meaning

Users should be able to easily move around the interface which includes being able to go forward or back to a previous state. This follows the usability guidelines of "error prevention," "user control and freedom," "flexibility and efficiency of use," and "helping users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors."

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