Fundamental Principles of User-Interface Design

What term is used to describe the characteristic where the appearance of a specific control suggests its function?

Which of the following is NOT considered a Human-Interface Object (HIO)?

In user-interface design, what does visibility refer to?

Which characteristic of HIOs ensures that they should provide immediate feedback when activated?

What is the purpose of affordance in user-interface design?

What can lack of feedback leave the user wondering about?

Why is consistency important in user experience?

What is a common issue with readability on small mobile devices?

What is a method designers can use to document dialogue designs?

Why are consistency across applications now expected by users?

Human-Interface Objects (HIOs)

HIOs are objects on a screen that users can manipulate, such as documents, buttons, menus, folders, and icons.
HIOs are commonly used in most applications, including the Microsoft Office Suite.
A characteristic of HIOs is affordance, which means that their appearance suggests their function.
For example, a control that looks like a steering wheel suggests that it is used for turning.

Visibility and Feedback

Visibility means that a control is visible, and users know it is available.
Feedback is a visual or audio response by the system in response to user action.
Feedback provides users with a sense of confirmation and indicates that the system is responsive and functioning correctly.
Lack of feedback leaves users wondering if a command or input was recognized or if the system is malfunctioning.

Consistency

Consistency is essential in various aspects of the user interface and the application.
Users expect consistency across different screens of an application and across applications.
Consistency significantly affects the effectiveness of the user experience.

Readability and navigation are crucial, but can be challenging to support, especially on small mobile devices.
Large desktop screens usually have good readability, but small mobile devices often have readability problems.
Large desktop screens have space for navigation clues, while small mobile devices may require hidden or partially hidden navigation tools.

Explore the basic concepts behind user interface design focusing on Human-interface objects (HIOs) like documents, buttons, menus, folders, and icons. Understand the importance of designing user-friendly interfaces with elements that are easy to manipulate and understand.