ch15-user-interface-design.ppt.PPT

Chapter 15 User Interface Design User interface design Designing effective interfaces for software systems Objectives To suggest some general design principles for user interface design To explain different interaction styles To introduce styles of information presentation To describe the user support which should be built-in to user interfaces To introduce usability attributes and system approaches to system evaluation Topics covered User interface design principles User interaction Information presentation User support Interface evaluation The user interface System users often judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality A poorly designed interface can cause a user to make catastrophic errors Poor user interface design is the reason why so many software systems are never used Graphical user interfaces Most users of business systems interact with these systems through graphical interfaces although, in some cases, legacy text-based interfaces are still used GUI characteristics GUI advantages They are easy to learn and use. Users without experience can learn to use the system quickly. The user may switch quickly from one task to another and can interact with several different applications. Information remains visible in its own window when attention is switched. Fast, full-screen interaction is possible with immediate access to anywhere on the screen User-centred design The aim of this chapter is to sensitise software engineers to key issues underlying the design rather than the implementation of user interfaces User-centred design is an approach to UI design where the needs of the user are paramount and where the user is involved in the design process UI design always involves the development of prototype interfaces User interface design process UI design principles UI design must take account of the needs, experience and capabilities of the system users Designers should be aware of people’s physical and mental limitations (e.g. limited shor