What are the characteristics of a "good" user interface?.
"The user interface is the part of the computer system which allows the.
human user to interact with the computer. The purpose of the user interface .
is to make the computer system usable by the user." [Redmond-Pyle, et.al].
Different users will have diverse ideas on what they require to make an interface "good". The level of experience of the user and the purpose of the application are only two of many things that will influence the creation and evaluation of an interface. Above all usability is the most necessary and important requirement of an interface. .
Many factors are taken into consideration, when designing an interface, to ensure usability. This essay addresses some of the factors to be considered when designing an interface for a business-oriented program.
Consistency versus Variety.
Consistency is considered to be one of the primary factors in the design of an interface. [Schneiderman, as cited in Chalmers, 2003] lists consistency as the first and most important of his "Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design". [Mandel, 1997, pg. 75], believes that consistency should be applied at three levels; presentation, behavior and interaction. Consistency in presentation is achieved through the use of similar colors, layouts, fonts and images. Behavioral and interaction consistency is acquired through ensuring that the actions are the same every time a control is used.
Variety is more acceptable in children's software and web design. In a business application it is considered inappropriate to provide unnecessary variety in an interface. .
"Inconsistency can cost a big company millions of dollars in lost productivity .
and increased support costs." .
[Jesse Berst (1993) as cited in Mandel, 1997, pg.50].
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Screen Layout.
The spatial relationships between text and other objects are used to create symmetry and add balance to an interface, [Stasko, 1997b].