Re: User Interface Design Standards

[Stuart Burnfield <sburnf -at- au1 -dot- ibm -dot- com>]

Tony said:
> In the main proper User Interface design revolves around one key issue:
> Minimizing the number of "skips" and "jump to"s

In the bad old days, good UI design meant cramming as much on to
each screen as humanly possible. This was because response times were
typically so slow that users needed to get as much work done as possible
before they had to press Return and spend the next 30+ seconds gazing
blankly at the green screen and humming the latest disco hit.

This strategy minimised "skips and jumps" but we would not do this today.

One UI design strategy is called progressive disclosure--avoid showing
people stuff until they need to use it. A simple example would be the
sort of VCR or DVD remote control where the common buttons are
always visible on the front of the device, and the obscure controls are
behind a little hinged panel--when you don't need 'em, you don't see 'em.

> ... of web materials that the user
> must perform in order to get the info that he/she needs.

What makes you think that most or many user interfaces involve web
materials?

Stuart

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