Interface Design

Purpose of Interface Design

• The ultimate goal of interface design is to create a user interface that is easy to use and understand.
• Another factor is to make the interface efficient helping users achieve their objectives in the most simple and straightforward way.
• The efficiency of an interface is met when tasks can be performed without unnecessary effort or difficulty.

Principles of Interface Design

• Consistency: Consistent design allows users to build on their knowledge as they navigate through different parts of the interface.
• Simplicity: A clean and simple design, with clear labelling and instructions makes the interface easy to use.
• Feedback: Users need to know that their actions have been registered. This could be a button changing colour when clicked or a signal that an action is in process.

Key Elements of Interface Design

• Navigation: The navigation system should be intuitive and easy to comprehend, enabling users to move around the interactive product without any confusion.
• Icons and buttons: They should be clearly marked and easy to interpret. The purpose of each button or icon must be easily understood at a glance.
• Forms: If applicable, forms for inputting information should be straight-forward and require minimum effort from the user.

Usability

• No matter how attractive the interface may look, if users can’t understand it or find it difficult to use, it’ll fail its purpose.
• An interface should be developed following the usability heuristic rules. The interface should be user-centred, with attention to details and should be consistent.
• Think about how your users will interact with the interface, what they will expect it to do and how it can meet or exceed these expectations.
• Consider a range of users, including people with disabilities, so that the interface is accessible to all.

Testing

• Testing is crucial to ensure that the interface design is effective and meet the users' needs.
• Iterations might be needed after the testing phase. It is important to regularly revise and update the interface to improve user experience.
• User feedback should be used to improve the interface design and make it as user-friendly as possible.

Layout

• The layout of the interface should be logical and well-structured, helping users find what they are looking for quickly and easily.
• The visual hierarchy on the screen should guide users to the most important elements first.
• The use of colours, fonts, sizes and placement can be used to guide the user's attention through the interface.
• Following F or Z pattern layouts can fit to natural eye movement patterns for many literacy cultures.