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RE: Are there any global standards for User Interface Design?
Subject:RE: Are there any global standards for User Interface Design? From:Amelia DeLoach <deloaa -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 23 Apr 2004 06:45:35 -0700 (PDT)
Haven't read the entire thread on this, but ... For
what' it's worth ...
I doubt it. When I was studying hypertext usability in
grad school ten years ago, there was only one meta
analysis on hypertext usability (i.e. UI design) and
it was by Jacob Nielsen. He gently pointed out in this
analysis that of the researchers delving into the
subject, some (i.e. Schneiderman) were doing more to
promote themselves and their products than to add to
the body of knowledge.
I picked up ONE book by Jared Spool and found his
research methods, at that point in time, to be
incomplete and the bibliography and footnotes in the
book were lacking. Of course, he was probably just
getting a book out the door quickly for business
reasons. (i.e. "Better finished than good.")
That said, if there's one person/group to look to in
respect to UI standards, it's probably Nielsen. He was
in the business of UIs and UI design before it was
sexy.
Plus, the whole aspect of UI design is based on
usability which bases its conclusions on "noisy data."
There will be some givens, such as don't use red text
on a blue background, but most of those are obvious to
designers anyway.
Amelia
--- John Posada <JPosada -at- isogon -dot- com> wrote:
>
> I just got done reading the book "The Inmates are
> Running the Asylum" by
> Alan Cooper. He's pretty much at the forefront of
> the whole UI movement.
> Get it and read it. It won't tell you what to do,
> but it will give you
> insight on why you are doing it.
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