Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications

First Things First: The Importance of a Conceptual Model

As the least conscious layer of the user experience, the conceptual model has the paradoxical quality of also having the most impact on usability. If an appropriate conceptual model is faithfully represented throughout the interface, after users recognize and internalize the model, they will have a fundamental understanding of what the application does and how to operate it. Without this understanding and consistent implementation, however, the user is likely to suffer through a host of usability problems, as the failure of the model reveals itself in a variety of interface components and operations.

Another critical quality of the conceptual model is its dubious distinction as the most ...