The user interface is the front-end application view to which the user interacts to use the
software. The software becomes more popular if its user interface is:
1. Attractive
2. Simple to use
3. Responsive in a short time
4. Clear to understand
5. Consistent on all interface screens
Types of User Interface
1. Command Line Interface: The Command Line Interface provides a command prompt,
where the user types the command and feeds it to the system. The user needs to
remember the syntax of the command and its use.
2. Graphical User Interface: Graphical User Interface provides a simple interactive
interface to interact with the system. GUI can be a combination of both hardware and
software. Using GUI, the user interprets the software.
User Interface Design Process
User Interface Design Process
The analysis and design process of a user interface is iterative and can be represented by a
spiral model. The analysis and design process of user interface consists of four framework
activities.
1. User, Task, Environmental Analysis, and Modeling
Initially, the focus is based on the profile of users who will interact with the system, i.e.,
understanding, skill and knowledge, type of user, etc., based on the user’s profile users are
made into categories. From each category requirements are gathered. Based on the
requirement’s developer understand how to develop the interface. Once all the requirements
are gathered a detailed analysis is conducted. In the analysis part, the tasks that the user
performs to establish the goals of the system are identified, described and elaborated. The
analysis of the user environment focuses on the physical work environment. Among the
questions to be asked are:
1. Where will the interface be located physically?
2. Will the user be sitting, standing, or performing other tasks unrelated to the interface?
3. Does the interface hardware accommodate space, light, or noise constraints?
4. Are there special human factors considerations driven by environmental factors?
2. Interface Design
The goal of this phase is to define the set of interface objects and actions i.e., control
mechanisms that enable the user to perform desired tasks. Indicate how these control
mechanisms affect the system. Specify the action sequence of tasks and subtasks, also
called a user scenario. Indicate the state of the system when the user performs a particular
task. Always follow the three golden rules stated by Theo Mandel. Design issues such as
response time, command and action structure, error handling, and help facilities are
considered as the design model is refined. This phase serves as the foundation for the
implementation phase.
3. Interface Construction and Implementation
The implementation activity begins with the creation of a prototype (model) that enables
usage scenarios to be evaluated. As iterative design process continues a User Interface
toolkit that allows the creation of windows, menus, device interaction, error messages,
commands, and many other elements of an interactive environment can be used for
completing the construction of an interface.
4. Interface Validation
This phase focuses on testing the interface. The interface should be in such a way that it
should be able to perform tasks correctly, and it should be able to handle a variety of tasks.
It should achieve all the user’s requirements. It should be easy to use and easy to learn.
Users should accept the interface as a useful one in their work.
User Interface Design Golden Rules
The following are the golden rules stated by Theo Mandel that must be followed during the
design of the interface. Place the user in control:
1. Define the interaction modes in such a way that does not force the user into
unnecessary or undesired actions: The user should be able to easily enter and exit the
mode with little or no effort.
2. Provide for flexible interaction: Different people will use different interaction
mechanisms, some might use keyboard commands, some might use mouse, some might
use touch screen, etc., Hence all interaction mechanisms should be provided.
3. Allow user interaction to be interruptible and undoable: When a user is doing a
sequence of actions the user must be able to interrupt the sequence to do some other
work without losing the work that had been done. The user should also be able to do
undo operation.
4. Streamline interaction as skill level advances and allow the interaction to be
customized: Advanced or highly skilled user should be provided a chance to customize
the interface as user wants which allows different interaction mechanisms so that user
doesn’t feel bored while using the same interaction mechanism.
5. Hide technical internals from casual users: The user should not be aware of the
internal technical details of the system. He should interact with the interface just to do
his work.
6. Design for direct interaction with objects that appear on-screen: The user should be
able to use the objects and manipulate the objects that are present on the screen to
perform a necessary task. By this, the user feels easy to control over the screen.
Reduce the User’s Memory Load
1. Reduce demand on short-term memory: When users are involved in some complex
tasks the demand on short-term memory is significant. So the interface should be
designed in such a way to reduce the remembering of previously done actions, given
inputs and results.
2. Establish meaningful defaults: Always an initial set of defaults should be provided to
the average user, if a user needs to add some new features then he should be able to add
the required features.
3. Define shortcuts that are intuitive: Mnemonics should be used by the user.
Mnemonics means the keyboard shortcuts to do some action on the screen.
4. The visual layout of the interface should be based on a real-world
metaphor: Anything you represent on a screen if it is a metaphor for a real-world entity
then users would easily understand.
5. Disclose information in a progressive fashion: The interface should be organized
hierarchically i.e., on the main screen the information about the task, an object or some
behavior should be presented first at a high level of abstraction. More detail should be
presented after the user indicates interest with a mouse pick.