New Post by Jennifer Hudson-Bissette

New Post by Jennifer Hudson-Bissette
The user interface is
essentially how the end-user navigates a system and it should always work in
the most efficient and effective way possible. The habits that interface
designers need to have in order to be successful in this are understanding the
business, taking advantage of graphical effectiveness, thinking like the user,
using models, focusing on usability, getting feedback, and documenting
everything (Tilley, 2019, pp. 232-234). While following these habits, there are
several guidelines, or goals, of the interface design that should be achieved
to ensure maximum user satisfaction. They include creating an interface that is
easy to learn and use, maximizing productivity, allowing for user flexibility,
providing help for users, making it attractive, focusing on data entry, using
validation rules, managing data, and reducing input volume (Tilley, 2019, pp.
234-246). While all of these guidelines are valid and important in the design
process, I feel that the key to creating a successful user interface is thinking
like the user. I was recently using a website and I had to enter my date of
birth. Rather than allowing me to type in the date, I had to scroll through a
calendar all the way back to my year of birth. It was quite time-consuming and
frustrating, and I feel this could have been made much simpler if the designer
had put themselves in the shoes of the user.
In an article by
Hung and Wang, they discussed the use of eye-tracking technology to determine
the best interface layouts in regard to responsive web design. This type of
design automatically fits an interface to the type and size of the device it is
being accessed on. They wanted to see what portions of an e-commerce website
were most viewed and most important when designing mobile websites, and they
ultimately determined that the key was simplicity (Hung & Wang, 2021,
p.18). Responsive website design is definitely a necessary trend that probably
won’t go away, seeing as how much business is now handled on mobile devices.
One user interface
that I feel is very well executed is Google Maps. It gives multiple routes and
bases them on real-time traffic conditions. You can specify parameters for the
routes you want to see, as well as be notified of accidents, speed traps, and
faster routes as they become available. This application has been a lifesaver
for me, and I haven’t found anything that I would change on it.
References:
Hung, J. C., & Wang, C.C. (2021). Exploring the website
object layout of responsive web design: Results of eye-tracking evaluations. Journal
of Supercomputing, 77(1), 343–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-020-03283-1
Tilley, S. (2019). Systems Analysis and Design (12th
Edition). Cengage Learning US. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780357117897

New Post by Kesha Myles
User interface and
user design are important aspects of software design. User interface (UI)
simply put, “describes how users interact with a computer system” (Tilley,
2019, p.229). The usability aspect of a system can has a substantial impact on
the success of the software. If the UI is not user-friendly then it is
ineffective and does not serve its intended purpose. That is why it is so
important to determine the needs of the user and be aware of the relationship
between the user and computer or system which is also known as human-computer
interaction (HCI). Also, to help ensure the UI is effective and efficient
designers need to be aware of the seven habits and follow 10 guidelines.
I think these habits
and guidelines are an important element in the process of designing a user
interface because they are guiding principles that provide keys for a
successful design. And with emerging user interface trends I think it is
worthwhile to consider the trends such as modular design, responsive web
design, and prototyping. I don’t see any of this as a passing fad because each
provides useful insight that can assist in the design process.

The
trends are used in the design of various types of user interfaces such as
smartphones and wearables devices. When I think of examples of exceptional UI I
feel the computer mouse and the remote control are so user-friendly. I prefer
the physical mouse to one that might be on a laptop because of the added ease
and control. Side note, I believe this type of mouse preference could be an
example of HCI. Although smartphones are a popular example of a user
interface, they are not high on my list because I don’t always find them
user-friendly. I believe each smartphone is as smart as the user and their desire
and ability to use all the many facets of their phone. Sometimes I don’t feel
that smart when it comes to navigating the various applications on my
smartphone.
References
Tilley, S. (2019). Systems analysis and design (12th ed.).
Course Technology. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780357117897

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