Project Just when you thought it was safe! Project 2 has been - - PDF document

GUI Design Tips Project

• Just when you thought it was safe!

– Project 2 has been released. – Chat Room

• Threads
• GUIs
• Networking

– Minimum Submission due 11/6 – Your next exam is 11/3

Plan for this week

• Today: Intro to Events
• Tomorrow: Examples
• Thursday: GUI Design Tips

Before we begin

• Any questions?

Truly bad interfaces

• Learning good design by looking at bad
• nes.

Taken from “GUI Bloopers”

Examples Also taken from

• Interface hall of shame.

– http://digilander.libero.it/chiediloapippo/Engine ering/iarchitect/shame.htm

Principle 1

• Focus on the users and their tasks, not the

technology.

– Understand the users – Understand the tasks

This is for woodworkers Intuitively Obvious Codes

&w means Window title / &d means date

Ok, but this is a Mac application! Principle 2

• Consider function first, presentation later

– Develop a conceptual model – Keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler

Just because you can… More fun with colors Principle 3

• Conform to the users' view of the task

– Don't make users commit unnatural acts – Use the users' vocabulary, not your own

• Don’t talk geek!

– Keep program internals inside the program

Flag 1 is what? That good old ORA-00001 error! Not to mention error 3212

What happens when you place your disk in the trash? Principle 4

• Don't complicate the users' task

– Common tasks should be easy – Don't give users extra problems to solve

I would click Next if I could! What is really going on here? This form is from a woman’s shoe store What to do…what to do…

Principle 5

• Promote learning

– Be consistent

A real learning activity

Figuring

• ut what

each button does.

The right side doesn’t know what the left is doing. Consistency makes the interface familiar and predictable Principle 6

• Deliver information, not just data

– Design displays carefully – The screen belongs to the user

With a slider bar?

On a single line? With drop menus? The screen belongs to the user

Even worse that this is always displayed, even if already set at 800 x 600. …and what’s the difference between OK and Cancel?

Principle 7

• Design for responsiveness

– Responsiveness is not the same thing as performance – The user interface is a real-time interface:

Even if for one message? Principle 8

• Try it out on users, then fix it!

– Testing, testing testing – Schedule time to correct problems found by tests – Produce useful diagnostics.

Okay, I’ll try again… Thanks for letting me know. This dialog is speechless Let me continue…let me cancel Thank you Lt. Columbo. And my favorite…

Summary

• Focus on the users and their task
• Function first, presentation later
• Adopt User’s view of task
• Don’t complicate
• Promote learning – be consistent
• Deliver info, not just data
• Design for responsiveness
• Try it out on users