User Interface Design

The visual part of a computer programme or operating system through which a client interacts with a computer or software is known as user interface design. It controls how orders are provided to the computer or programme, as well as how information is shown on the screen.

User Interface Types

• The two most common types of user interface are:
• Command Line Interface (CLI) or Text-Based User Interface (TBUI)

User Interface in Graphics (GUI)

A text-based user interface is one in which the user interacts with the system through text The keyboard is used heavily in this manner. UNIX is a good illustration of this.

Advantages

• There are numerous and simple customization possibilities.
• Usually capable of performing more important jobs.

Disadvantages

• Rather than recognition, it relies mainly on recollection.
• It is frequently more difficult to navigate.

GUI (Graphical User Interface): GUIs rely largely on the mouse. Any version of the Windows operating system is a good example of this style of interface.

Characteristics of the User Interface

"Characteristics Descriptions

Windows Multiple windows allow different information to be displayed simultaneously on the user's screen.

Icons Icons different types of information. On some systems, icons represent files. On other icons describes processes.

Menus Commands are selected from a menu rather than typed in a command language.

Pointing A pointing device such as a mouse is used for selecting choices from a menu or indicating items of interests in a window.

Graphics Graphics elements can be mixed with text or the same display."

Advantages

• It requires less specialist expertise to utilise.
• It's easier to navigate, and you can quickly scan through directories using a guess-and-check method.
• The user can easily transition from one job to another and interact with a variety of programmes.

Disadvantages

• Typically, there are fewer possibilities.
• Usually, less customization is available. It's not easy to use a single button to create a plethora of various permutations.

Principles of User Interface Design

Structure: The user interface should be organised purposefully, in a meaningful and usual way, based on precise, consistent models that are obvious and recognisable to users, grouping related items together and separating unrelated items, differentiating dissimilar items and making similar items resemble one another. The structural principle is concerned with the overall architecture of the user interface.

Simplicity: The design should make a simple, common task simple by communicating clearly and directly in the user's language and by giving useful shortcuts to lengthy operations.

Design should make all relevant options and materials for a given function available without distracting the user with unnecessary or superfluous information.

Feedback: The design should tell users of actions or interpretations, changes in status or condition, and bugs or exceptions that are relevant and of interest to them using clear, simple, and unambiguous language that they are familiar with.

Tolerance: The design should be flexible and tolerant, reducing the cost of errors and misuse by allowing undoing and redoing and, if possible, preventing defects by tolerating a wide range of inputs and sequences and interpreting all legitimate actions.