The problem of conflicting design criteria may be resolved by setting criteria limits. The criteria should not apply to the system. Rather, they should apply to the particular parts of the interaction. For examples:

• Marketing may require that a particular part of the system, which helps in sales promotion, should appeal to the customers. Typically, this implies that for this part of the system the leading criterion should be to maximize user satisfaction
• System analysts may conclude that certain warning messages are safety critical, implying that for these messages the leading criterion should be to maximize user vigilance
• System managers may decide that particular data entry screens are mission critical, implying that for these screens the leading criterion should be to maximize interaction performance
• Safety experts may demand that particular interactions should be protected against user errors, implying that for these interactions, the leading criterion should be to maximize interaction reliability.

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Updated on 26 Mar 2016.