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
Characteristic Description
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 others, icons represent
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 interest in a
window.
Graphics Graphical elements can be mixed with text on the same
display.
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

Analyse and Produce paper- Evaluate design

understand user based design with end-users
activities prototype

Produce
Design Evaluate design
dynamic design
prototype with end-users
prototype

Executable Implement
prototype final user
interface
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 short-term
memory) and should recognise that people make
mistakes

UI design principles underlie interface designs
although not all principles are applicable to all
designs
User interface design principles
Principle Description
User familiarity The interface should use terms and concepts which are
drawn from the experience of the people who will
make most use of the system.
Consistency The interface should be consistent in that, wherever
possible, comparable operations should be activated in
the same way.
Minimal surprise Users should never be surprised by the behaviour of a
system.
Recoverability The interface should include mechanisms to allow
users to recover from errors.
User guidance The interface should provide meaningful feedback
when errors occur and provide context-sensitive user
help facilities.
User diversity The interface should provide appropriate interaction
facilities for different types of system user.
Design principles

User familiarity
• The interface should be based on user-oriented
terms and concepts rather than computer concepts. For example, an
office system should use concepts such as letters, documents, folders
etc. rather than directories, file identifiers, etc.

Consistency
• The system should display an appropriate level
of consistency. Commands and menus should have the same format,
command punctuation should be similar, etc.

Minimal surprise
• If a command operates in a known way, the user should be
able to predict the operation of comparable commands
Design principles

Recoverability
• The system should provide some resilience to
user errors and allow the user to recover from errors. This might
include an undo facility, confirmation of destructive actions, 'soft'
deletes, etc.

User guidance
• Some user guidance such as help systems, on-line manuals, etc.
should be supplied

User diversity
• Interaction facilities for different types of user should be supported.
For example, some users have seeing difficulties and so larger text
should be available
User-system interaction

Two problems must be addressed in interactive
systems design
• How should information from the user be provided to the
computer system?
• How should information from the computer system be
presented to the user?

User interaction and information presentation
may be integrated through a coherent framework
such as a user interface metaphor
Interaction styles

Direct manipulation

Menu selection

Form fill-in

Command language

Natural language
Interaction Main Main Application
style advantages disadvantages examples
Direct Fast and intuitive May be hard to Video games
manipulatio interaction implement CAD systems
n Easy to learn Only suitable where
there is a visual
metaphor for tasks
and objects
Menu Avoids user Slow for Most general-
selection error experienced users purpose systems
Little typing Can become
required complex if many
menu options
Form fill-in Simple data Takes up a lot of Stock control,
entry screen space Personal loan
Easy to learn processing
Command Powerful and Hard to learn Operating systems,
language flexible Poor error Library
management information
retrieval systems
Natural Accessible to Requires more Timetable systems
language casual users typing WWW
Easily extended Natural language information Advantages and
understanding retrieval systems
systems are disadvantages
unreliable
Direct manipulation advantages

Users feel in control of the computer and are less
likely to be intimidated by it

User learning time is relatively short

Users get immediate feedback on their actions
so mistakes can be quickly detected and
corrected
Direct manipulation problems

The derivation of an appropriate information
space model can be very difficult

Given that users have a large information
space, what facilities for navigating around that
space should be provided?

Direct manipulation interfaces can be complex to
program and make heavy demands on the
computer system
Control panel interface

Title JSD. example Grid Busy

Method JSD
OUIT
Type Network Units cm

Selection Process Reduce Full

PRINT

NODE LINKS FONT LABEL EDIT

Menu systems

Users make a selection from a list of
possibilities presented to them by the system

The selection may be made by pointing and
clicking with a mouse, using cursor keys or by
typing the name of the selection

May make use of simple-to-use terminals such as
touchscreens
Advantages of menu systems

Users need not remember command names as
they are always presented with a list of valid
commands

Typing effort is minimal

User errors are trapped by the interface

Context-dependent help can be provided. The
user’s context is indicated by the current menu
selection
Problems with menu systems

Actions which involve logical conjunction (and)
or disjunction (or) are awkward to represent

Menu systems are best suited to presenting a
small number of choices. If there are many
choices, some menu structuring facility must be
used

Experienced users find menus slower than
command language
Form-based interface
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Command interfaces

User types commands to give instructions to the
system e.g. UNIX

May be implemented using cheap terminals.

Easy to process using compiler techniques

Commands of arbitrary complexity can be
created by command combination

Concise interfaces requiring minimal typing can
be created
Problems with command interfaces

Users have to learn and remember a command
language. Command interfaces are therefore
unsuitable for occasional users

Users make errors in command. An error
detection and recovery system is required

System interaction is through a keyboard so
typing ability is required
Command languages

Often preferred by experienced users because
they allow for faster interaction with the system

Not suitable for casual or inexperienced users

May be provided as an alternative to menu
commands (keyboard shortcuts). In some cases, a
command language interface and a menu-based
interface are supported at the same time
Natural language interfaces

The user types a command in a natural language.
Generally, the vocabulary is limited and these
systems are confined to specific application
domains (e.g. timetable enquiries)

NL processing technology is now good enough to
make these interfaces effective for casual users
but experienced users find that they require too
much typing
Multiple user interfaces
Command
Gr aphical user
language
interface
interface

Command
GUI
language
manager
interpreter

Operating system
Information presentation

Information presentation is concerned with
presenting system information to system users

The information may be presented directly (e.g.
text in a word processor) or may be transformed
in some way for presentation (e.g. in some
graphical form)

The Model-View-Controller approach is a way of
supporting multiple presentations of data
Information presentation

Information to Presentation
be displayed software

Display
Model-view-controller

View state view modification Controller state

messages User inputs
View methods Controller methods

Model queries
and updates Model edits
Model state

Model methods
Information presentation

Static information
• Initialised at the beginning of a session. It does not change
during the session
• May be either numeric or textual

Dynamic information
• Changes during a session and the changes must be
communicated to the system user
• May be either numeric or textual
Information display factors

Is the user interested in precise information or
data relationships?

How quickly do information values change?
Must the change be indicated immediately?

Must the user take some action in response to
a change?

Is there a direct manipulation interface?

Is the information textual or numeric? Are
relative values important?
Alternative information presentations
Jan Feb Mar April May June
2842 2851 3164 2789 1273 2835

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
Jan Feb Mar April May June
Analogue vs. digital presentation

Digital presentation
• Compact - takes up little screen space
• Precise values can be communicated

Analogue presentation
• Easier to get an 'at a glance' impression of a value
• Possible to show relative values
• Easier to see exceptional data values
Dynamic information display

1
0 10 20
4 2

Dial with needle Pie chart Thermometer Horizontal bar

Displaying relative values

Pressure Temper atu re

0 100 200 300 400 0 25 50 75 100
Textual highlighting

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The filename you have chosen h as been
used. Please choose an other name

Ch. 16 User interface design

OK Cancel
Data visualisation

Concerned with techniques for displaying large
amounts of information

Visualisation can reveal relationships between entities
and trends in the data

Possible data visualisations are:
• Weather information collected from a number of sources
• The state of a telephone network as a linked set of nodes
• Chemical plant visualised by showing pressures and temperatures in a
linked set of tanks and pipes
• A model of a molecule displayed in 3 dimensions
• Web pages displayed as a hyperbolic tree
Colour displays

Colour adds an extra dimension to an interface
and can help the user understand complex
information structures

Can be used to highlight exceptional events

Common mistakes in the use of colour in
interface design include:
• The use of colour to communicate meaning
• Over-use of colour in the display
Colour use guidelines

Don't use too many colours

Use colour coding to support use tasks

Allow users to control colour coding

Design for monochrome then add colour

Use colour coding consistently

Avoid colour pairings which clash

Use colour change to show status change

Be aware that colour displays are usually lower
resolution
User support

User guidance covers all system facilities to
support users including on-line help, error
messages, manuals etc.

The user guidance system should be integrated
with the user interface to help users when they
need information about the system or when they
make some kind of error

The help and message system should, if possible,
be integrated
Help and message system
Application

Help Error message

interface system

Message
presentation
system

Help Error message

frames texts
Error messages

Error message design is critically important.
Poor error messages can mean that a user
rejects rather than accepts a system

Messages should be polite, concise, consistent
and constructive

The background and experience of users
should be the determining factor in message
design
Design factors in message wording
Context The user guidance system should be aware of what the user is
doing and should adjust the output message to the current
context.
Experience As users become familiar with a system they become irritated
by long, ‘meaningful’ messages. However, beginners find it
difficult to understand short terse statements of the problem.
The user guidance system should provide both types of message
and allow the user to control message conciseness.
Skill level Messages should be tailored to the user’s skills as well as their
experience. Messages for the different classes of user may be
expressed in different ways depending onthe terminology which
is familiar to the reader.
Style Messages should be positive rather than negative. They should
use the active rather than the passive mode of address. They
should never be insulting or try to be funny.
Culture Wherever possible, the designer of messages should be familiar
with the culture of the country where the system is sold. There
are distinct cultural differences between Europe, Asia and
America. A suitable message for one culture might be
unacceptable in another.
Nurse input of a patient’s name

Please type the patient name in the

x then
bo cl ick on OK

Bates, J.

OK Cancel
System and user-oriented error messages

User-oriented error message

System-oriented error message

?
Error #27 Patient J. Bates is not registered
Invalid patient id entered Clic
k on P
atientsorf a list of registered patients
Clic
k on Retr
y to re-input a patient name
Clic
k on Helporf more inf
ormation

OK Cancel
Patients Help Retry Cancel
Help system design

Help? means ‘help I want information”

Help! means “HELP. I'm in trouble”

Both of these requirements have to be taken
into account in help system design

Different facilities in the help system may be
required
Help information

Should not simply be an on-line manual

Screens or windows don't map well onto paper
pages.

The dynamic characteristics of the display can
improve information presentation.

People are not so good at reading screen as
they are text.
Help system use

Multiple entry points should be provided so that
the user can get into the help system from
different places.

Some indication of where the user is positioned
in the help system is valuable.

Facilities should be provided to allow the user
to navigate and traverse the help system.
Entry points to a help system
Top-level
entry

Entry from
application

Entry from error

message system

Help frame network

Help system windows
Help frame map Mail redirection

Mail may be redirected to another

network user by pressing the
redirect button in the control
panel. The system asks for the
name of the user or users to
whom the mail has been sent

You are here more next top ics

Help history

1. Mail
2. Send mail
3. Read mail
4. Redirection
User documentation

As well as on-line information, paper
documentation should be supplied with a system

Documentation should be designed for a range of
users from inexperienced to experienced

As well as manuals, other easy-to-use
documentation such as a quick reference card
may be provided
 User document types

System System Novice Experienced System

evaluators administrators users users administrators

Functional Installation Introductory Reference Administrator’s

description document manual manual guide

Description of How to install Getting Facility Operation and

services the system started description maintenance
Document types

Functional description
• Brief description of what the system can do

Introductory manual
• Presents an informal introduction to the system

System reference manual
• Describes all system facilities in detail

System installation manual
• Describes how to install the system

System administrator’s manual
• Describes how to manage the system when it is in use
User interface evaluation

Some evaluation of a user interface design
should be carried out to assess its suitability

Full scale evaluation is very expensive and
impractical for most systems

Ideally, an interface should be evaluated against a
usability specification. However, it is rare for
such specifications to be produced
Usability attributes
Attribute Description
Learnability How long does it take a new user to
become productive with the system?
Speed of operation How well does the system response match
the user’s work practice?
Robustness How tolerant is the system of user error?
Recoverability How good is the system at recovering from
user errors?
Adaptability How closely is the system tied to a single
model of work?
Simple evaluation techniques

Questionnaires for user feedback

Video recording of system use and subsequent
tape evaluation.

Instrumentation of code to collect information
about facility use and user errors.

The provision of a grip button for on-line user
feedback.
Key points

Interface design should be user-centred. An interface
should be logical and consistent and help users recover
from errors

Interaction styles include direct manipulation, menu
systems form fill-in, command languages and natural
language

Graphical displays should be used to present trends
and approximate values. Digital displays when
precision is required

Colour should be used sparingly and consistently
Key points

Systems should provide on-line help. This should
include “help, I’m in trouble” and “help, I want
information”

Error messages should be positive rather than
negative.

A range of different types of user documents
should be provided

Ideally, a user interface should be evaluated
against a usability specification