User interface design – Going to the basics of advancement

Going back to the era, when computers were just for the hard core programmers and you had to be an Expert in using it, it lacked a very important feature which refrained a non-programmers from using it – It was missing the GUI. Broadly known as the Graphical User Interface.

Since then no-matter whatever we come across, need for an interface became priority. Let us question ourselves – ‘ What is an INTERFACE ‘.

An interface is the medium of interaction between Humans and technology.

An interface in broad sense is the FACE of the technology, it is through which we communicate with the technology. This is know as HCI – Human computer Interaction. It studies how humans interact with the computing devices.

In this post we will not be dealing with any of the UI / Usability process. Our main aim is to understand the concept UI/usability.

An Interface is made up of several elements, which on screen invite the user to use the product. The UI design should be such that it guides the user, set the flow. While dealing with UI design, there is a very important concept involved, Usability. How usable the interface is. When we look at common websites like, Yahoo, rediff etc. We dont need any tutor to tech us how to use the website. We read, scan the page, and find the required information. The interface design must be user-friendly. A website when in the design phase goes under the usability testing, where different types of users test the interface and judge the user-friendliness of website.

While designing user interfaces always remember –

• All the users are different from each other.
• All users are not like you. You know the interface very well as you have designed it, but they are new to it. So guide them.
• We design for the user, not for ourselves, so keep our likes, favorites and tastes aside.
• Give them not what they want, give them what they expect.
• Follow UCD – User centered design approach (we would discuss about it in later posts).

As a Famous line from Steven Jobs says –

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

So, Start understanding your user. He is the king. Watch out for the User Interface of the Day Section to know more about designing usable UI’s.

Next in the series -: User Interface Design – Understanding the process.