uxmagazing has a good write-up concerning “navigating the line between beautiful design and usable IA.” In this article, the topic of discussion centers around how the goals of “beautiful” and “usable” in design are often at odds, and how to avoid having User Interface designers and Graphic Designers at cross purposes. Mostly, it seems to…

“Designers shooting for usable is like a chef shooting for edible.” – Aarron Walter “Clutter is a failure of design, not an attribute of information.” – Edward Tufte “It’s art if can’t be explained. It’s fashion if no one asks for an explanation. It’s design if it doesn’t need explanation.” – Wouter Stokkel

Efficiency is defined as the speed in which users can accurately complete the tasks for which they use a product. To achieve maximum efficiency in a user interface, we should define the tasks from the user’s point of view instead of as individual actions. Making the right choices for efficient use of the software depends…

The definition of usability in the ISO 9241 standard is: “The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use.” For optimum usability, every product should meet some basic criteria. The product should be useful, effective, intuitive, learnable,…

User Interface designers generate numerous concepts for any given project, brainstorming with team members and clients to flesh out ideas that will lead to an innovative and intuitive UI system. It is important for UI designers to not become too attached to early iterations of their work, allowing the constraints and issues learned during the…

The User Interface 17 Conference is taking place this year in Boston on November 5–7, 2012. A wide range of topics will be covered including content strategies, use case scenarios, adaptive content in UI design and rapid prototyping. While some designers may use these types of conferences mainly as networking opportunities, UI-17 does provide the…

Mobile devices offer unique user experiences that computers and laptops cannot duplicate. Because a mobile device is lighter and more portable, users often insert its use into their everyday routine. The use of touchscreens and functionality while on the go makes users feel an emotional attachment to the device. As a result, users tend to…

One of the trends in UI Design is the minimalistic approach towards graphics and icons. The positives of this approach is the icons are still easily understandable and do not distract from the content. The negatives, though, may be that the UI features are not as emphasized, and that the graphical minimalism doesn’t invite consumers…

“It is important not to confuse a desire to give the [user] a satisfying experience that feels intuitive because it is so well thought out, with a magical faith in the designer’s creative intuitions. While it is essential to encourage creativity and exploration in the design process, intuitive design is rarely the result of lucky…

Use cases depict a scenario in which a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific objective or perform a specific task. They can be powerful tools to assist UI designers and their clients in achieving a more complete design before beginning the prototyping and development phases. By merging task analysis and actual end…

One of the more successful trends within UI design for mobile device apps is having the navigation menu along the bottom of the screen instead of the top. One result of this type of layout is that it causes the user to take notice of all the content before being asked what it is they…

What are some of the benefits of utilizing remote testing when conducting usability tests? The most obvious benefits are of course saving both time and cost since travel and lab rentals are not an issue. But other possible advantages include having a larger group of testing participants to choose from, as well as allowing usability…