Design guidelines list principles that should be followed to develop a usable system. They are useful in two respects: First, they provide the developer with clear requirements and second, they allow an objective evaluation of interfaces by usability experts.
Guidelines are relatively easy to apply, but neglect the usage context. This shortcoming can become problematic, because ultimately it is the target group that has to decide on the actual quality of the interface.
Checklists are frequently used. They usually consist of closed questions with only a few answer options. The goal of checklists is to provide a standardized procedure where no criteria are overlooked. The content and formal design of checklists depends on the respective purpose.
