Luke Wroblewski summarizes the fundamental principles that guide Google in designing user experiences, as told by John Wiley in a WritersUA presentation.

  1. Useful: focus on people -their lives, their work, their dreams.
  2. Fast: every millisecond counts
  3. Simple: simplicity is powerful.
  4. Engaging: engage beginners and attract experts.
  5. Innovative: dare to be innovative.
  6. Universal: design for the world.
  7. Profitable: plan for today's and tomorrow's business.
  8. Beautiful: delight the eye without distracting the mind.
  9. Trustworthy: be worthy of people's trust.
  10. Personable: add a human touch.

Hat tip to Frank for the link.