Vittorio Vittori

Design System Architect / Senior UX Designer

Match Between the System and the Real World

The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms.

User-Centered Design
Cognitive load

Domain-Aligned Concepts

The system reflects the user's mental model of the domain, not the internal system model.

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Model features around real-world domain concepts Expose internal system structures to users Use entities users already recognize Force users to adapt to technical abstractions Align workflows with real-world processes Design flows based only on backend logic

Familiar Language

The system uses words, phrases, and concepts that are familiar to users, avoiding technical or internal terminology.

Use everyday language users already know:
Payment received Use technical or developer-centric terms
Transaction OK Match terminology to the user's context
Save changes Assume users understand system jargon
Persist data Keep wording simple and concrete
Your order is on the way Overcomplicate labels with precision
Order status: dispatched (ID: 78432)

Human Time and Units

Time, quantities, and measurements are expressed in forms people naturally understand.

Use relative and human-readable time formats
About 3 minutes remaining Expose raw timestamps or system units
Progress: 42% Round numbers to meaningful values
2 items left in stock Show unnecessary numerical precision
Inventory level: 2 Adapt units to user expectations
Every Monday Force users to convert measurements
RRULE:FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO

Logical Information Order

Information is presented in a sequence that feels natural and expected.

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Follow real-world or task-based sequences Order information by technical priority Group related information together Scatter dependent fields across screens Respect user expectations from similar products Invent unconventional sequences without reason

Meaningful Feedback

System responses are expressed in terms of real-world outcomes, not abstract system states.

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Explain what actually happened Show raw system statuses or codes Focus on user-impacting results Describe internal operations Use feedback that confirms user intent Leave outcomes ambiguous

Natural Mapping

Controls and outcomes are arranged in a way that mirrors real-world cause-and-effect relationships.

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Bug report
Current behavior When the attribute type is se to number and the controls are shown, the style is not fully consistent with the rest of the design language and design system style.
Component affected mds-input
Align controls with real-world behavior Invert or obscure cause-effect relationships Make outcomes predictable from the action Require learning arbitrary interactions Use spatial consistency Break established interaction patterns

Real-World Metaphors

Digital concepts are represented using metaphors users already understand from everyday life.

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Use widely understood real-world metaphors Invent obscure or mixed metaphors Keep metaphors consistent across the system Break metaphor rules with unexpected behavior Support understanding without explanation Rely on metaphors that require learning
Match Between the System and the Real World