User Interface Design Chapter 7

Chapter 7: User Interface Design

• A user interface (UI) describes how users interact with a computer system
• It affects two-way communications between the user and the computer
• Key to usability, including user satisfaction, supporting business functions, and system effectiveness
• Apple pioneered GUI development
• User-centered systems use a mix of input, screen output, and data queries for daily job functions

Chapter Objectives

• Explain user interfaces
• Explain the concept of human-computer interaction (HCI)
• Summarize the seven habits of successful interface designers
• Summarize the 10 guidelines for user interface design
• Design effective source documents and forms
• Explain report design techniques for printed output
• Discuss output and input technology issues
• Describe output and input security and control issues
• Explain emerging user interface trends

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

• Describes the relationship between computers and users
• Includes all forms of communication and instructions (screen displays or printed reports)
• A transparent UI doesn't distract the user, and calls no attention to itself
• HCI significantly impacts user productivity

Seven Habits of Successful Interface Designers

• Understand the business: the interface designer must understand underlying business functions and how the system supports goals
• Maximize graphical effectiveness: a well-designed interface enables quick learning and adaptation to a new system
• Think like a user: the designer must see the system from the user's perspective
• Use models and prototypes: initial designs are presented to users in the form of a storyboard
• Using software provides usability metrics data
• Focus on usability: primary goal is to create an intuitive and easy interface
• Invite feedback: monitor system usage and solicit user suggestions

Guidelines for User Interface Design

• Create an interface that is easy to learn and use: focus on design objectives, create an understandable and memorable design, maintain consistent design in all interface modules
• Enhance user productivity: organize tasks, commands, and functions in groups, create alphabetical lists or place frequently used selections at the top of the menu, provide shortcuts for experienced users, use default values, allow the user to turn off duplicate value function if they prefer
• Provide users with help and feedback: ensure help is available on demand, provide user-selected help and context-sensitive information, provide a direct route to return to where help was requested
• Provide users with help and feedback (continued): require user confirmation before data deletion, provide an "undo" key, highlight erroneous parts of a user entered command
• Create an attractive layout and design: use appropriate colors to highlight different screen areas, use special effects sparingly, use hyperlinks to related topics, keep screen displays uncluttered
• Create an attractive layout and design (continued): display titles, messages, and instructions consistently
• Create an attractive layout and design (continued): use consistent terminology, require user confirmation, remember user customs, avoid complex terms
• Enhance the interface: use a command button to initiate an action, create customized menu bars and toolbars, add shortcut features, if variable data is needed, provide a dialog box
• Focus on data entry screens: use form filling whenever possible, restrict access to screen locations, provide a cancel button, provide descriptive captions for every field, provide means to move among fields
• Focus on data entry screens(continued): allow users to add, change, delete, and view records, match screen form layout to source document, display sample formats using input mask, require an ending stroke, don't require leading/trailing zeros
• Focus on data entry screens(continued): display default values, use default values when field value is constant, display list of acceptable fields, and provide error messages, provide confirmation opportunity
• Use validation rules: sequence check, existence check, data type check, range check, reasonableness check, validity check, combination check, batch controls

Source Document and Form Design

• Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) means output quality depends on input quality
• A source document collects input data, triggers an input action, and provides a record of original transaction
• Good form layout makes completion easy and provides sufficient space
• Order and placement of printed fields should be logical

Printed Output

• Questions to consider before designing printed output: purpose, intended users, specific information, device type, delivery frequency
• Report design principles: reduce paper flow, make reports easy to read, ensure organization, use design tools
• Detail reports, exception reports, summary reports

Technology Issues

• Input technology: batch input, online input, source data automation
• Output technology: screen output, printed matter, actual forms, reports, other device output
• Input/Output technology linkage is essential to create a cohesive user experience, that evolves with technology

Control and Security Issues

• Input control ensures data is correct, complete, and secure. Information should be traceable
• Procedures are in place for handling source documents
• Data security policies and procedures protect data from loss or damage
• Companies have records retention policies that meet legal and business needs
• Audit trails are stored and saved
• Output control methods maintain output integrity
• Output security protects privacy and shields data from theft
• Diskless workstations support user interface but limit printing and copying

Emerging Trends

• Responsive web design
• Prototyping (including low-fidelity, high-fidelity, benefits, and shortcomings)
• Wearable computing (compactness, context awareness, integration, new interaction modes, privacy)

Explore the essentials of user interface design in Chapter 7. Understand the concepts of human-computer interaction (HCI) and the guidelines to create effective user interfaces. Learn about emerging trends and the importance of usability in computer systems.