Ui design – general Ui design – general guidelinesguidelines

Why designers go astrayWhy designers go astray

Putting aesthetics first: "It Putting aesthetics first: "It probably won a prize." probably won a prize."

Designers are not typical users Designers are not typical users (esp programmers) (esp programmers) – Clients are not always users Clients are not always users

Key Pillars of Design: Key Pillars of Design:

GuidelinesGuidelines PrototypingPrototyping Reviews and usability testingReviews and usability testing

How do you help users to How do you help users to avoid errors?avoid errors?

Put the knowledge in the worldPut the knowledge in the world Use the power of natural and Use the power of natural and

artificial limitationsartificial limitations Simplify the structure of tasksSimplify the structure of tasks Invite exploration (make things Invite exploration (make things

visible when relevant)visible when relevant) Design expecting errorDesign expecting error

Eight golden rules of interface Eight golden rules of interface designdesign

Strive for consistency Strive for consistency – unless you have a good reason not tounless you have a good reason not to

Provide shortcuts Provide shortcuts Offer informative feedback Offer informative feedback Design dialogs to yield closure Design dialogs to yield closure Permit easy reversal of actions Permit easy reversal of actions Support internal locus of control Support internal locus of control Reduce short term memory loadReduce short term memory load

Balance of Automation and Balance of Automation and Human ControlHuman Control

Let humans do what humans do best and Let humans do what humans do best and computers do what computers do bestcomputers do what computers do best

Humans better at: sensing low level Humans better at: sensing low level stimuli, pattern recognition, inductive stimuli, pattern recognition, inductive reasoning, multiple strategies, adapting reasoning, multiple strategies, adapting

Computers better at: counting and Computers better at: counting and measuring, accurate storage and recall, measuring, accurate storage and recall, rapid and consistent responses, data rapid and consistent responses, data processing/calculation, repetitive actions, processing/calculation, repetitive actions, performance over time performance over time

How to do things wrongHow to do things wrong

Make things invisible Make things invisible Be arbitrary Be arbitrary Be inconsistent Be inconsistent Make operations unintelligible Make operations unintelligible Be impolite Be impolite Make operations dangerous Make operations dangerous

How to do things right How to do things right

Use knowledge in the world and Use knowledge in the world and knowledge in the head knowledge in the head [see forcing][see forcing]

Simplify the structure of tasks Simplify the structure of tasks Make things visible (invite Make things visible (invite

exploration) exploration) Get the mappings right Get the mappings right Exploit the power of constraints Exploit the power of constraints Design for error Design for error Standardize Standardize

ForcingForcing

Forcing functions Forcing functions – Examples: locking keys in car, interlocks on Examples: locking keys in car, interlocks on

seatbelts, forgetting bank cards, swiping pens seatbelts, forgetting bank cards, swiping pens – Methods: interlocks, lockins, lockouts Methods: interlocks, lockins, lockouts

Design lessons Design lessons – Put the knowledge in the world Put the knowledge in the world – Use the power of natural and artificial Use the power of natural and artificial

constraints constraints – Narrow the gulfs of execution and evaluation Narrow the gulfs of execution and evaluation