What design element helps users to succeed by providing clear action paths?

The correct choice highlights the role of affordances in guiding user actions within a design. Affordances refer to the qualities of an object or interface that suggest how it can be used. For example, a button typically affords pressing, while a slider affords sliding. When designers effectively use affordances, they create intuitive cues that help users understand the available actions without requiring extensive instructions. This clarity in action paths enhances usability by allowing users to navigate and interact with a product more efficiently.

In contrast to affordances, constraints limit the possible actions within a system, which can prevent errors but may not necessarily indicate the most effective paths for users. Design principles are overarching guidelines that inform design decisions but do not specifically provide those clear action paths. Micro rules, while they may relate to small, specific aspects of design interaction, do not encompass the broader role of conveying actionable guidance like affordances do. Therefore, affordances are essential in designing interfaces that facilitate user success through clear, intuitive action paths.