EN ISO 9241-110:2020 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 9241-110:2020 - "Ergonomics of human‑system interaction - Part 110: Interaction principles" provides a concise, technology‑neutral framework of interaction principles and general design recommendations for interactive systems. Revised in 2020, this edition replaces the 2006 version and updates the guidance to reflect contemporary human‑centred design practice. The standard is applicable across interactive systems (software, web, embedded devices, kiosks), while excluding domain‑specific technical details (e.g., safety‑critical systems, collaborative work, AI features).

Key topics and requirements

EN ISO 9241-110:2020 defines high‑level interaction principles and associated recommendations that inform usability and user experience. Main elements include:

• A framework for applying interaction principles in analysis, design and evaluation (independent of technology or context).
• Seven principal themes (each with recommendations):
  • Suitability for the user’s tasks
  • Self‑descriptiveness
  • Conformity with user expectations
  • Learnability
  • Controllability (now includes individualization)
  • Use error robustness (avoidance, tolerance, recovery)
  • User engagement (new in 2020)
• Guidance on how principles contribute to usability, and relationships between principles.
• Annex A: an informative checklist to aid implementation and evaluation.
• Normative structure: scope, terms/definitions, principles, recommendations and bibliography.

Note: the standard focuses on interaction design and general recommendations rather than specific visual or information presentation rules (see ISO 9241‑112 for presentation guidance).

Practical applications

EN ISO 9241‑110:2020 is used to:

• Inform user interface and interaction design decisions that improve usability, accessibility and user satisfaction.
• Guide creation of style guides, UI toolkits and development best practices.
• Support requirements analysis (user, market, system), procurement specifications and acceptance criteria.
• Provide evaluation criteria for usability testing, expert review and conformance checks.
• Reduce common usability problems (unnecessary steps, misleading information, poor error recovery).

Typical implementations include website and app UX design, enterprise software workflows, consumer electronics interfaces, and interaction requirements in procurement contracts.

Who should use it

• Analysts (requirements, market, user)
• UX/UI designers and style‑guide authors
• Tool developers (UI builders, prototyping tools)
• Software developers implementing UIs
• Evaluators and usability testers
• Buyers and procurement specialists specifying interface quality

Related standards

• ISO 9241‑11 (usability guidance and context of use)
• ISO 9241‑112 (information presentation)
• Other parts of the ISO 9241 series for complementary ergonomics and accessibility guidance

Keywords: EN ISO 9241-110:2020, ergonomics, human‑system interaction, interaction principles, usability, user interface design, human‑centred design, user engagement.