Rubric: L-USABILITY
Lens: L-USABILITY · Density: D-LOW (Top N) · Axes: OPS, RDB, CMP
Criteria
- Time-to-first-success for the primary persona (CLI user, API client, end user).
- Help/error messages actionable?
- Defaults safe and obvious?
- Breaking changes discoverable?
- Consistency of UX vocabulary.
Citations
| Work | Point |
|---|---|
| ISO 9241-11 | Usability definition (effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction) |
| Nielsen — 10 Usability Heuristics | Error prevention, recognition vs recall, consistency |
| Command-line interface guidelines (clig.dev) | When target is a CLI |
Pros / cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Often the actual open-source adoption gate | Easy to confuse with product taste — keep heuristics cited |
| Ties CMP (docs claim vs reality) | Libraries without UX still need API ergonomics — reframe axis to RDB/MNT |
Top-N bias
Prefer findings that block strangers over aesthetic CLI color debates.