I am very surprised to see the lack of information in the area of Graphical User Interface (GUI) Design on this web site. Here are some tips to get you seriously thinking about how people use your software.
User Interface Design
Version 2
I am very surprised to see the lack of information in the area of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) on this web site. The useability of your software will largely affect peoples impressions. Here is some information that will hopefully get you thinking more seriously about how you design your software.
1. Applying Psychology to Design
1.1 Sensation & Perception
Don’t rely on a visual notification alone to let the user know a process has started or finished. Processes that can take a while may be helped by using audition to let the user know the task has been started or completed. At the same time be weary of sensory overkill, the user doesn’t want the system beeping at them every 5 seconds or to have a message box popping up interrupting them from the task they are performing.
Tip: Avoid actions that could stress/frustrate sensory systems.
1.1.1 Feedback
Provide feedback for users actions. Good feedback helps confirm that the software is responding to input and communicates details that distinguish the nature of the action. Effective feedback is timely and is presented as close to the point of the user's interaction as possible. Even when the computer is processing a particular task, provide the user with information about the state of the process and how to cancel the process if that is an option. Nothing is more disconcerting to users than a "dead" screen that is unresponsive to input. A typical user will tolerate only a few seconds of an unresponsive interface.
Tip: You can communicate simple information through mouse pointer changes, sounds or a status bar message; for more complex feedback, you may need to display a progress control or message box.
1.2 Attention & Performance
1.2.1 Decision Automation
The operational assumption is that the user - not the computer or software - initiates actions. The user plays an active rather than reactive role. You can automate tasks, but implement the automation in a way that allows the user to choose or control it.
Tip: Do not automatically get your program to run on start up or place icons on the desktop.
1.2.2 Design for Learning
Initial performance by new users is slow and may require attention and guidance, however once a task has been learnt continually guiding a user through the task is both slow and frustrating, the option to better automate the task needs to be available to the user.
Tip: Make use of program preferences to turn on/off help aids.
Tip: Have multiple ways of executing common tasks such as menu options, icon bars, shortcut-keys and dropdown menus.
Tip: Make menu bars and tool bars more customable.
1.2.3 Design for Error
Don’t just capture boundary conditions. Take into account mistakes of intention and action slips of commission. Users like to explore an interface and often learn by trial and error.
Tip: Make use of message boxes to warn, notify users about potential situations where they could damage the system or data, or better, makes actions reversible or recoverable.
1.3 Human Memory
Use existing knowledge when possible. Assist learning by analogy and use recognition over recall.
Don’t overload short-term memory, remember an average person has a limit of 7+/-2 ‘chunks’ for about 15 seconds. Auditory rehearsal, primacy & recency effects are also a focus of short-term memory. Maintain an external memory for the user where possible.
Design for consistency to avoid interference: Avoid pro-active and retroactive interference
1.4 User Neiching
Who are the people using your software and how often do they use it. You need to take into account their industry background, age, frequency of use and general computer knowledge.
Tip: Be careful who evaluates your software, are they the types of people who will be using it?
2. Design Principles/Goals
Simplicity – Simple tasks should be easy to do
Generalisability – One set of conventions should apply to many tasks
Consistency – Follow established / own conventions
Redundancy – Provide multiple means to accomplish tasks
Documentability – Systems should be easy to document
Accuracy – Online help and documents should reflect actual function
Learnability – Terms/icons/syntax/operations should be memorable/discriminable
Flexibility – Systems should adapt to individual/different users
Recoverability – Systems should allow recovery from errors
Security/Privacy – Systems should not sacrifice privacy/security for ease of use
Stress/fun systems should not be stressful; they should be fun
3. Tradeoffs of Design Principles/Issues
Specificity/Generality: General Systems may not be particularly good at specific tasks
Internal / External: Internally consistent systems may violate external conventions
Learnability / Usability: Easy-to-learn does not imply easy-to-use
Speed/Accuracy: The faster people try to go, the more they will make errors
Information Depth / Breadth: The more breadth provided, the less depth is covered
Batch / Interactive: Systems should support interactive access, with programmability
Passive/Active: Experts may use commands, novices menus, so provide both
Brevity/Verbosity: Amount of information must adapt to user needs
Graphical/Textual: Intuitive graphical interfaces may not be programmable
4. Style Guide
4.1 Controls
Instructional text is generally placed above the control in question, additional information below. Don’t forget to properly set the tab index’s for the controls in a coherent manner and they have tool tip text if applicable.
4.1.2 Button Labels
Button labels should describe the buttons action and follow book-title capitalisation.
You can use the button label to reflect other information about the button's operation. For example, if the action represented by the button requires additional information, include an ellipsis (…). If the button expands the window to display additional information, include (>>).
4.1.3 Option Buttons & Check Boxes
Limit to a small number, typically seven or fewer. If you need more choices, consider using a different type of control, such as a single-selection list box or a drop-down list box.
Use sentence-style capitalisation with no ending punctuation. Write parallel labels of approximately equal length for related check boxes. If a check box label also acts as the label for the control that follows it, end the label with a colon
4.1.4 List Boxes
List box controls do not include their own labels. However, you should include a label using a static text field; the label enables you to provide a description of the control and keyboard access to the control. Use sentence-style capitalisation for a list box label and end the label with a colon
Use sentence-style capitalisation for items in the list. The width of the list box should be sufficient to display the average width of an entry in the list.
4.2 Menu Items
If the menu is a verb use a noun or noun phrase
Eg. On the Insert menu: Text, Table, Picture
If the menu is a noun use a verb or verb phrase
Eg. On the Table menu: Insert Table, Select Row, Insert Column
4.3 Shortcut Keys
Use the following guidelines for designing shortcut keys:
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