"As UX professionals, we should never assume that our own interpretations and understanding of words or objects match those of our users." Designers should be careful not to accidentally create a false consensus effect by projecting their own behaviors and reactions onto their users.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

"Systems should speak the users' language with familiar words, phrases, and concepts rather than system-oriented terms. Interfaces that follow real-world conventions and make information appear in a natural and logical order demonstrate empathy and acknowledgement for users." This heuristic is important because human beings find comfort in familiarity.

#2: Match between system and the real world heuristic

By Anna Kaley on July 1, 2018
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/match-system-real-world/
Copyright © 1998-2020 Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved.

NNG Reference Article: "Match Between the System and the Real World: The 2nd Usability Heuristic Explained"

By Raluca Budiu on October 22, 2017
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/false-consensus/
Copyright © 1998-2020 Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved.

NNG Reference Article: "You Are Not the User: The False-Consensus Effect"

You are not your user.

Users should not have to look up the meaning of any words, phrases, or terminology used on your site. For example, the use of any abbreviations or acronyms should be limited and you should never assume users will know what they mean. If there are any features or concepts that the common user would not easily understand, you should take care to provide the necessary explanations and definitions directly on the site. The consequence of users not understanding important information on your site, is they might seek elsewhere to carry out whatever tasks they're trying to complete. 

Familiar Language

Generally, users expect UI elements to mimic the real world. This can be achieved in different ways. (See skeuomorphism and neuomorphism.)

Capitalizing on people's existing knowledge about how to interact with real world objects helps users more easily and quickly learn how to interact with your interface. In other words, leveraging familiarity will make your platform more intuitive for the user. This can apply to objects/elements, as well as phrases and terminology used in your platform. Because of this, information should be presented in a natural and logical way, and all pieces of information should be placed contextually where they make the most sense. The consequences of not doing this might be that the user will be confused or even miss certain pieces of information because they are not located where expected.

Designers should also take into account differences in regional and cultural standards or norms.

Leverage Familiarity with Real-World Objects and Activities

Empathy is the capacity to understand another person's perspective and to feel what they feel. According to some researchers, this ability to form an emotional connection with others is a key driver of altruistic behavior, compelling an individual to help.

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