What is user interface design ?
Filed Under UI, Design, Software | Posted on January 9, 2008
When designing a great product, the term of User Interface Design is deemed to be very important. Before we go into the depth of why it is so, it is necessary that we understand what exactly we mean by User Interface Design.
User interface design or user interface engineering is the design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user’s experience and interaction. Where traditional graphic design seeks to make the object or application physically attractive, the goal of user interface design is to make the user’s interaction as intuitive as possible—what is often called user-centered design.
User Interface design is involved in a wide range of projects from computer systems, to cars, to commercial planes; all of these projects involve much of the same basic human interaction yet also require some unique skills and knowledge. Technology alone may not win user acceptance and subsequent marketability. Many technological innovations rely upon User Interface Design to elevate their technical complexity to a usable product.
The User Experience, or how the user experiences the end product, is the key to acceptance. And that is where User Interface Design enters the design process. While product engineers focus on the technology, usability specialists focus on the user interface. The importance of good User Interface Design can be the difference between product acceptance and rejection in the marketplace. If end-users feel it is not easy to learn, not easy to use, or too cumbersome, an otherwise excellent product could fail. Good User Interface Design can make a product easy to understand and use, which results in greater user acceptance.
A user interface is well-designed when the program behaves exactly how the user thought it would.
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