Tuesday, May 27, 2003
User Interface design Tips and Tricks
Consistency :- Consistency is the most important aspect of User Interface Design. Your Application must be
Consistent Throughout. Consistency in your User Interface helps the user to build accurate mental model of the
way that is works. Accurate Mental Model leads to Lower Training and Support Cost.
For Eg : Suppose by double clicking on the button some action gets triggered...then througout your entire
application action would be Triggered only by double Clicking only.
Set Standards :- The only way u would be able to ensure consistency within ur application is to set design
Standards and Stick to them. The best approach is to adopt the current industry standards and then fill in what u
think is missing. Advantages of using this approach is u get use the work done by others and also the users are
familiar with the look and feel of such application so work is reduced a lot.
Explain Rules :- Once u are done with the application u need to explain the rules once to the user if u have made ur
application consistent throughout.
Support both Novices and Experts :- Your Application should be easy as well as usefull for both the novices and the
experts.
Navigation :- If the user is not able to get easily from one screen to another screen then he would get frustrated
and give up. When the flow between the screens matches the flow of work that the user is trying to accomplish
then your interface makes sense to the user. Because different people use applications differently if your
application should be flexible enough to support these various approaches. interface-flow diagrams can be used
during the model stage to model the flow between the screens.
Word Your Messages and labels Appropriately :- Text on your screen is the primary source of information for the
user. If your text is poorly worded then your application is percived poorly. So its very important to use full words
and sentences. Further more your message should be worded consistently and should be displayed on a consistent
place on the screen.
For Eg :- Take these two sentences
Your first name must be input.
An Account Number should be the input.
Now these two sentences are perfectly worded if u view them separately but together they are not consistent.
So in the light of the first sentence the second one should ve "the account number must be the input".
Don't use other's applications blindly as they could even do wrong things.
Use color Consistently throughtout ur interface.
For eg : light text on dark background and dark text on light background.
for people with color blindness. if u are using a color to hightlight some thing then there is a possibility that they
might miss it .. in that case u can use a symbol or a icon beside it.
The Color should be consistent throughtout ur site.
Use Fonts Appropriately
Grayout things which are not required instead of removing them because the user should know what is available to
him and what is not as there is old saying out of sight is out of mind.
for eg to delete or add something u need to select a product then the button near the menu would become active
so that the user good add or delete the product. Other wise before selecting the button should be Deactive.
Use non-destructive default buttons
Alignment of fileds.
justify data appropriately.
Do not create busy screens.
Experimental data shows that overall density of the screen should not exceed 40% and the local density within
groupings should not exceed 62%.
Group things together which are related to each other.
Sugath Gaikwad
posted by Web Promotion Team 6:12 PM
