Interface design

The user interface is part of a overall system. You can break a system down into 3 main sections -

• The interfaces (view)
• Storage requirements (model)
• Business logic (controller)

This is sometimes referred to as the model, view, controller or MVC. This is covered in detail in the object orientated section of the Java website.

The user interface must be carefully designed in order to meet the user requirements. After all it is the part of the system which the user will see. If it is hard to use, not responsive or not suitable for the target audience then the user will have a negative view of the system or worse may not even be able to use it! A good example of poor interface design is in the software “blender” which is open source 3d software. It can produce some amazing results but it is very difficult to use which hampers it's usefulness. When designing a interface you must consider -

Usability – Who is the target audience? What is their skill level? How can the interface be improved in order to make the system easier to use.

Responsiveness – How can feedback be given to the user when a long process is being done? Will it
respond in a timely manner and a predictable manner?

Consistency – Are all of the sections consistent with each other? Does it behave like similar packages. For example the office packages all have the same formatting tools.

Accessibility – Are the most used options at the top of menu structures or have icons? How can the users experience be enhanced or made simpler? Do the users have any potential disabilities which need to be considered?