User Interfacing

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Why is a good User Interface important?

User Interfacing, and more specifically Graphical User Interfacing (GUI), is an extremely important subject for all application designers/developers. After all, the user interface is the only way to accomplish the task that needs to be done.

If you want to convey a positive image about your product to your users, you'll have to spend a lot of effort on designing an easy-to-use (intuitive?) User Interface.

It doesn't really matter if the underlying technology of your application is excellent: if the User Interface cannot convey this fact to the user, the application will be viewed as inferior.

So, strive to create a User Interface (graphical or non-graphical) that conforms to the user's needs and expectations.

The most difficult part is: you'll need to stop thinking like a software engineer. Start thinking like a novice user, that does not know the technology 'under the hood'. Ask yourself questions, like "what do I do next?", or "where can I find the right tool for my task?". That way, you will end up with a better understanding of the needs and expectations of the user.

You should also accomodate for users with certain disabilities, that may complicate working with the user interface you create; one common example would be visual disabilities (check Color Contrast and Partial Sight, an article by LightHouse for more information).

For an excellent discussion of good User Interface design, complete with examples, you should definitely look at the Isys Information Architects website.

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