Principles and Techniques of User Interfaces
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3’s user interface is a good example of The Structure Principle. This principle has the ideas of interfaces needing to be organized purposefully, having the design and the model recognizable, and keeping things related together and separating unlike things. A technique that is found in this principle is a explaining the rules. The rules of the user interface itself are self-explanatory for the PlayStation 3.
In this picture, you see the Xross Media Bar, which is what the user interface of the PS3 is called. The XMB, allows users to simply browse through the categories going across the horizontal row of the bar and users can show items that can be performed on the vertical column under each category. This enables users to quickly adapt to the UI because it is straight forward and easy to navigate.
Another technique found in the Structure Principle is to word your messages and labels effectively. This technique includes making use of words and sentences effectively, which will help users understand what’s going on. Using this technique also allows extra visibility support for the icons of the UI. For example, some people may not really see or understand what was intended to be viewed as the icon. To back it up, making use of words and labels properly enables the user to understand what they’re doing on the UI better.
Grouping things effectively is another technique that is applied to this principle. The UI of the PS3 organizes specific items that belong to its categories. This technique helps users get a feel of where certain configurations and other actions belong.
Windows 7
Windows 7’s sets a good example for The Simplicity Principle. This principle holds suggests ideas such as having common, repetitive tasks being easy, communicating clearly in the user’s own language, and being able to provide shortcuts or hot-keys for related and/or longer procedures. Consistency is an effective technique of this principle. Having consistency enables users to develop a precise mental image of how the UI works and precise mental images lead to lower costs for training and support. For instance, Windows 7 has a wide variety of things to do, such as opening up many programs at once; to do so, the user just has to double click a program and it will open up to be viewed, the same process applies to every other program. This is being consistent because it allows users to do simple and repetitive tasks at steady rate.
Windows 7 is capable of recovering from mistakes made by users thanks to the technique of expecting users to make mistakes. Users can recover files that were once deleted in Windows 7. There are many ways of doing so; the user can go into the trashcan document to view what they have deleted and manually restore it back onto the desktop or even use hotkeys such as CTRL and Z to undo the action they just took.
The design should be intuitable, another technique found in this principle. Some users may have trouble learning how to use the software, which will eventually lead them onto making guesses on how it works. If the design is intuitable, users will be able to adapt to how the UI works without explanations. Windows 7’s design is intuitable. The programs for Windows 7 have icons and also text below it to show what it is, allowing users to easily find and navigate through what they want to do.
In the picture below, you could see the UI of Windows 7, and how things are easy to understand just by viewing the icons and reading what they are.
iPhone4
A good example that stands in the Visibility Principle is the iPhone4. The visibility principle contains ideas of having options and items for a given task should be visible, and don’t distract the user with irrelevant or unneeded information. A technique found on this principle is to not create busy user interfaces. The iPhone4 does not have a busy UI; it just contains a black background and applications on it. Very simple, hard to get lost and all the information there is all the things only the user wants, not information and such that is not needed.
Following the contrast rule is another technique found in this principle; a technique where the UI uses dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds. Instead of having a white background with yellow icons or yellow texts that people cannot read, the iPhone4 has a black background and bright colored icons that have white colored text below them. This is great for users because they will be able to see and understand things better on the UI.
Similar to following the contrast rule, using color appropriately is applied to the iPhone4. The iPhone4’s UI has a consistency with its colors; making use of a black background white text under the application icons. The icons always stick out from its use of bright colors that contrast with the black background, allowing the UI to be easily navigated even with color blind users.
The Feedback Principle:
The design should constantly inform users of any actions, changes of state or condition, any errors or any exceptions that are of interest to the user relevant to what the design is purposed for . The information should be concise, clear, and unambiguous.
Techniques – Cell phone text message, Error message in Windows, updates
The mail icon on Blackberry’s OS is a good example, because it notifies the user of new mail in a very clear, and unambigious way.
The Tolerance Principle:
The design should be tolerant on human mistakes, and should reduce, if not eliminate concequences caused by mistakes and misues. This can be done by using an undo/redo function. The design should also be able to interpret the user’s actions and make suggestions accordingly.
Techniques – Windows CTRL + Z, Apple iPhone’s autocorrect, automatic switch between headset/headphones when plugged into a phone.
This is a good example because it shows how sometimes, developers can make mistakes and the tolerance principle could work to the user’s disadvantage. Regardless, Apple’s autocorrect feature is the most notorious application of the tolerance principle to today’s date.
The Reuse Principle:
The design should use internal and external components that are consistent with other designs that serve the same purpose. With this, the user can pick up and use the design because they already know how to use it – they just don’t know it yet.
Techniques – 3.5mm jacks, iPod/iPhone/iPad, bare-bone phone functions
This picture of a 3.5mm jack is a good example because it’s universally known, and used on most devices that play music. Whenever a user sees this jack, they automatically know that they can plug a pair of headphones into it. They don’t have to read a manual, they just know.
