User Interface Design: Ms. Nomica CH

User Interface Design
Ms. Nomica Ch.

User interface design

Designing effective interfaces
for software systems
The user interface

System users often judge a system by its
interface rather than its functionality

A poorly designed interface can cause a user to
make catastrophic errors

Poor user interface design is the reason why so
many software systems are never used
Graphical user interfaces

Most users of business systems interact with
these systems through graphical interfaces
although, in some cases, legacy text-based
interfaces are still used
GUI characteristics
Characteristic Description
Windows Multiple windows allow different information to be
displayed simultaneously on the user’s screen.
Icons Icons different types of information. On some systems,
icons represent files; on others, icons represent
processes.
Menus Commands are selected from a menu rather than typed
in a command language.
Pointing A pointing device such as a mouse is used for selecting
choices from a menu or indicating items of interest in a
window.
Graphics Graphical elements can be mixed with text on the same
display.
GUI advantages

They are easy to learn and use.
• Users without experience can learn to use the system
quickly.

The user may switch quickly from one task to
another and can interact with several different
applications.
• Information remains visible in its own window when
attention is switched.

Fast, full-screen interaction is possible with
immediate access to anywhere on the screen
User-centred design

User-centred design is an approach to UI design
where the needs of the user are paramount and
where the user is involved in the design process

UI design always involves the development of
prototype interfaces
User interface design process
Analyse and Produce paper- Evaluate design

understand user based design with end-users
activities prototype
Produce
Design Evaluate design
dynamic design
prototype with end-users
prototype
Executable Implement
prototype final user
interface
UI design principles

UI design must take account of the needs,
experience and capabilities of the system users

Designers should be aware of people’s physical
and mental limitations (e.g. limited short-term
memory) and should recognise that people
make mistakes

UI design principles underlie interface designs
although not all principles are applicable to all
designs
User interface design principles
Principle Description
User familiarity The interface should use terms and concepts which are drawn
from the experience of the people who will make most use of the
system.
Consistency The interface should be consistent in that, wherever possible,
comparable operations should be activated in the same way.
Minimal surprise Users should never be surprised by the behaviour of a system.
Recoverability The interface should include mechanisms to allow users to
recover from errors.
User guidance The interface should provide meaningful feedback when errors
occur and provide context-sensitive user help facilities.
User diversity The interface should provide appropriate interaction facilities
for different types of system user.
Design principles

User familiarity
• The interface should be based on user-oriented
terms and concepts rather than computer concepts. For example, an
office system should use concepts such as letters, documents,
folders etc. rather than directories, file identifiers, etc.

Consistency
• The system should display an appropriate level
of consistency. Commands and menus should have the same
format, command punctuation should be similar, etc.

Minimal surprise
• If a command operates in a known way, the user should be
able to predict the operation of comparable commands
Design principles

Recoverability
• The system should provide some resilience to
user errors and allow the user to recover from errors. This might
include an undo facility, confirmation of destructive actions, 'soft'
deletes, etc.

User guidance
• Some user guidance such as help systems, on-line manuals, etc.
should be supplied

User diversity
• Interaction facilities for different types of user should be supported.
For example, some users have seeing difficulties and so larger text
should be available
User-system interaction

Two problems must be addressed in interactive
systems design
• How should information from the user be provided to the
computer system?
• How should information from the computer system be
presented to the user?

User interaction and information presentation
may be integrated through a coherent
framework such as a user interface metaphor
Simple evaluation techniques

Questionnaires for user feedback

Video recording of system use and subsequent
tape evaluation.

Instrumentation of code to collect information
about facility use and user errors.

The provision of a grip button for on-line user
feedback.

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User Interface Design

Ms. Nomica Ch.

Analyse and Produce paper- Evaluate design

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