Answers

• Ask someone -- wizard

• Read the help manual -- online help

• Look around and try things by trial and error

• what improves your chances of guessing right?

• similarity with things you know

• good design constrains what you consider doing by reducing your degress of freedom appropriately

• well designed systems rely on natural mappings wherever possible -- one button for each function, organize the buttons so that they are isomorophic to the functions they support -- eg stove and the knobs for controlling the burners
   

• Explore the space by poking and probing before trying to really do anything -- learn by doing
   

Which do you prefer?