Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Understanding User Interface Design and its Uses

What are user interface designs or engineering is the designs of technical devices such as computers, mobile devices and websites focusing on user interaction and experience.
Conventional graphic designs usually try to make applications physically striking, but user interface goals are to make it more simple and efficient for user interaction – this is also termed user-centered design. And while good graphic or industrial designs are usually bold and noticeable, a good user interface design on the other hand is made to facilitate concluding of the present task. One can utilize graphic designs for application of themes and styles to the interface without bargaining its functionality. Design process of these interface should be balanced, it must have its visual features that match the mental model of processes along with the usability from the technical engineering outlook. This is in order for the system to be created with usable and easy to adapt to user needs.

Though there are many phases and processes with user interface design, there is some that the more required features depending on the type of project.

Gathering functional requirements – the list of functionality needed for the system should be assembled to accomplish project goals and users’ potential needs.

User analysis – this involves potential user analysis through discussion with people working with users or simply with potential users. Some questions that should be included here are:

What the user requires from the system?
How does this system fit with the users’ daily activities or workflow?
How savvy the user is technically and what same systems the user already uses?
What kind of interface styles the user likes?

Architecture information – this is the development of the flow process and information systems.

Prototyping – this refers to the improvement of wireframes, which could be in the kind of paper prototype or just simple interactive screens. These could be stripped of everything that look and feel elements and most substance so that it concentrates on the interface.

Usability Checking - prototypes can actually be tested on a user. Sometimes a technique called the talk aloud protocol wherein users could be asked to voice out their thoughts during the experience can be used.

Graphic interface designs – are the definite appearance and feel of the concluding graphical user interface or the GUI. This may be supported by the results developed on the usability testing if this is erratic. This could also be based on communication goals and styles appealing to the users. In less common cases, these graphics could drive prototyping depending on the magnitude of visual forms against function. If it requires several different skins, there could actually be many interface designs for a single control panel, functional element or what is called a widget. This period is usually a cooperative effort of the graphic designer and a user interface designers, and it could also be handled by one who is an expert with the two disciplines.

A good interface designs needs a good consideration of what the users need.

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