Consistency vs. Uniformity
Take a passing glance at the words above. In most everyday uses, you may think they mean the same thing. But when designing, especially for the web, consistency and uniformity are not the same.
I was recently part of a large e-learning project that included a ‘consistency review’. The aim was to make interactions and activities consistent across two dozen courses. The result: every course became uniform instead.
As well-meaning as this review was, it was never going to meet its stated aims. By giving preference to the way a site looks (Uniformity), it can affect the way it behaves (its Consistency), but they do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Consistency is all about use. Consistent elements may not always look exactly the same across a website, for example, but they behave exactly the same every time.
Next time someone in your organisation proposes a consistency review, make sure it’s not all about looks.