Practical User Interface Design: Making GUIs Work by Carl Zetie - Book Report/Review Example

of book: Practical User Interface Design: Making GUIs Work. Carl Zetie has over a decade of experience in software systems design. He regularly presents seminars on Graphic User Interface Designs and has worked on client/server and User Interfaces tools across the world. He currently works for ORACLE (1995). Brief Synopsis: Taking from the cover: the book presents every level of interface, from conceptual model through to detailed design. With liberally illustrated examples taken from both popular desktop applications and transaction processing systems, a potential designer is shown the process of interface design from top to bottom. The main emphasis of the book is on practical methods rather than a theoretical one. The author highlights relevant information; skills and techniques needed in the process of designing of an attractive and efficient interface. Several factors affecting the design, efficiency and usability of User interfaces including common errors made are highlighted throughout the book. Internal/External criticism: By dividing the book into five (5) chapters, the author is able to clearly examine Graphic User Interface’s (GUIs). All the chapters of the book are coherent and not isolated or independent in topic content. He proposes incorporating fundamental principles for industrial and domestic designs and their concept to the Graphic user interface design. These principles are broadened through levels increasing from the most theoretical to practical using examples of various graphic user interface implementation on a windowing platform such as in Windows; the Apple Mackintosh (Mac), Motif and other X-Windows based systems. A GUI designer team should possess relevant skills such as Graphics design, System Analysis, Cognitive and Task Engineering skills. Methodology: Through extensive use of simple illustrations and examples of case studies, Zetie discusses key aspects of designing good User Interfaces under the following sub topics. I. Fundamental principles of design: the first principle states ‘simple tasks deserve simple interfaces’ while the second principles similarly states that ‘complex tasks demand guidance and elucidation’. The ability to differentiate between complex and simple task is easily acquired by learning from feedbacks or experiences of users. Using the Microsoft Word version 6.0 which has undergone considerable revision as a case study, the author concludes that the certain factors such as Visibility, Feedback, and Mapping & Affordances as not totally disjoint components of design but highlights them as the elements of design. He states that the absence of these factors leads to many errors in design. A good User Interface supports cognitive processes such as memory and learning while avoiding overloading shift memory. A combination of principle is intended to lead to even greater effectiveness and satisfaction to the user. II. Conceptual models: The use of a strong model is the foundation for designing an effective Graphic User Interface. Using the Mac and Microsoft windows models of faxing as case study, Zetie explores the ideas of models and their transformation in considerable detail. He writes that though ‘a model should contain a point of reference (a center)’ and a ‘domain of expressions’ they should not be limited by these referent models”. The choice of models is therefore of importance to the success or failure of a good user interface. III. Task flow: Through the use of various illustrations and the Lotus Freelancer version 2.0 as case study, the Author discloses that Good task flows are characterized by certain guidelines including the elimination of unnecessary restrictions and making hidden dependencies visible through expressing constraints. IV. Dialog design: Using a Stock control application system as case study, it is seen that dialog design should support task flow. A dialog flow is the mechanism that is used to control or manage task flow. This chapter also highlights the dialog notation which provides an effective technique for communication with end user’s and designers. By using tools such as data rules, supporting the process rules, and supporting the business rules various problems encountered in the use of the stock control applications are easily resolved. The case study shows that dialog needs to support data integrity, process flow and business rules. Dialog design examines practical implementation while and therefore is implementation focused. V. Detailed design: Detailed design is not independent or separate from the rest. It is the final stage of the process and must support the previous conceptual model(s). It is the most deceptive aspect of a User Interface Design. Detailed design addresses controls, windows, application wide issues and the numerous interactions between them it also involves the use of basic and standard custom controls e.g. radio buttons, click boxes etc. The author discusses the use of basic standard controls and the errors that are likely to occur during use. The fundamental principle of design applies strongly to these stages of design. VI. Errors and Help: by studying the mistakes and tolerance needed to overcome errors the author notes that the difference between the user’s perception of good and bad user interface design lies in handling of errors and exceptionally challenging situations. The quality of help available and the ease of reaching the documentation of this help will make a dramatic difference to the usability and effectiveness of the interface system. Conclusion: The book is full of relevant information and through the use of countless illustrations of several user interface windows is helpful in understanding the practical needs of a good interface design. The book is easy to read. The general language of the book is not ambiguous and the author provides lots of additional references to other relevant literature. Title: The Essential Guide to the Interface Design: an Introduction to GUI design and Techniques. Author: Wilbert O. Galitz, President of Galitz Inc. is an internationally renowned consultant, information systems instructor and public speaker. He has spent 30 years in the field of screen display research. Brief synopsis: The book addresses screen design from the user’s perspective and discusses the principle of human interactions with screens, describing how these characteristics can be used to create interfaces that are effective to a user. The Author blends years experience in designing display based systems and latest interface trends with teaching how hardware and software capabilities of the interface should be. Through presentation of various illustrations, He provides a step by step guide through the entire design process highlighted by examples of good and bad interface designs. The Microsoft visual basic for Windows 3.1 is used mostly as screen example. External/ Internal Criticism The book is written in two main parts. The introductory Part I discusses the importance of a good screen design and the characteristics of a Graphic User Interface (GUI). It takes a deeper look at the popularity and wide usage of graphics in revolutionizing the design of user interfaces. The author highlights the evolution of the human-computer interface and defines a GUI in terms of techniques, mechanism and human interaction. He notes the numerous advantages and disadvantages of graphical systems enumerating with detailed presentations from various research experts in the field. He links ‘characteristics’ of GUI to the principles that should guide its design process. The second part of the book focuses solely on the GUI screen design process. Using a 12 step approach, the process of graphics screen design is outlined through an extensive use of examples of both current and available screen designs. Usability and efficiency analysis are highlighted taking into consideration the user and designer’s perspective. Methodology As much as possible, every aspect of product design is covered. Step through step links are used in an attempt to show and aid understanding of how human computers interactions should influence the character, design, function or other relevant components of an a screen interface. Step I highlights how the user’s importance, experience, knowledge (in tasks and job) and psychological characters should be factored into the design theme to create an effective GUI screen design. Similarly step II and III focuses more on the challenges of developing models based on effectiveness and usability to the user with Human, hardware and software considerations noted in the formulation of a ‘principle of good screen design’, while step IV deals with windows selection and operations. Various aspects such as the characteristics, presentation, types and functionality of the windows is detailed. Steps V-VII takes a critical look at developing system menus, it lists guidelines and characteristics which include taking in to consideration device based controls and how they should be integrated with screen based controls. Step VIII, shows how the windows layout is organized; other components are identified and screen examples are listed. Steps IX and X focuses on the aesthetics’, colors, fonts and use of meaningful icons. Research findings on how color schemes interact with human vision are highlighted. The types of icons to be used are chosen based on their character and user friendliness. Step XI examines the how the role and importance of Feedback, Guidance and Language enable the designer and user track the usability of the GUI design with ease. Various international considerations that affect users are who are as spread as are varied in thought, belief and perception are listed. The final Step focuses on conduct and data collection, while the purpose and importance of testing prototypes with their method of deployment is highlighted. A test plan to ascertain effectiveness and usability, taking the user and designers as co –participants must be conducted. Conclusion In the beginning of the book, the author asks three questions namely: Is good design important? What comprises a good design? And thirdly will graphics automatically assure good design? He answers his questions through the use of illustrations with relevant examples and research findings from years of study, ‘that a good design requires understanding of a user’s personal character: how he sees, understand and think’. Also that ‘a good design takes into account how to present information that will be friendly to the user in terms of visual, easy comprehension while incorporating safe human (eye and hand) movement. Good designs should be User friendly and be seen to improve productivity. Over time many software producers have become even more user centered and this has helped to solve screen design problems using graphics applications. However due to lack of depth and non adherence to design principles some ‘poor’ designs that are non user friendly are still being produced. Title of Book: Usability Testing and Research. Authors: Carol M. Barnum is from the Southern Polytechnic State University. Sam Dragga, Series Editor is from Texas Tech University. Brief synopsis: The book is part of a series (the Allyn and Bacon series in Technical Communication) designed to meet the needs of professionals in technical communications. The book shows consistency in its effort to integrate theory with practice. It examines gives the principles and the tools to practice usability testing. The target audience of the book varies and is not limited to technicians or designers as it provides a systematic approach to expand the knowledge of the technical professional and also acts as suitable groundwork for newcomers to usability testing methods. External/Internal criticism The book is written in nine (9) chapters with the terms Usability, Usability Testing and User Centered Designs used extensively throughout the book. While the first half of the book establishes the basis for the user centered design activities, the second half focuses on the planning and preparation activities of a usability test. Through the use of relevant and up to date research and assumptions, guidelines are enumerated with a view to develop a relevant and efficient process. Iterative designs testing e.g. paper prototyping and other usability testing tools should be at the core of a user centered process. The book provides examples of all phases of usability testing including planning, preparing, conducting and reporting results. Side bars, checklists, photographs and line drawings are used throughout the book and used are to illustrate the methods and approaches for testing in different situations. A separate chapter on web usability and web testing gives details on current trends in that field. Methodology: The first chapter of the book lays the foundations and tone for the book. It discusses the terminologies Usabilty, Usability Testing and User-Centered Design. It provides information of ways in which usability testing can be cost justified through savings from usability testing as well as the cost of not testing. The second chapter presents methods used to get feed back from both users and expert. Usability inspection tools like the Heuristics Evaluations, Cognitive Walk Through, the use surveys, direct interviewing and other methods are described. Chapter 3 provides more information about the process of building ‘user centered design products’: through understanding the user and his characteristic tastes. Several methods for performing vital investigation into user and task analysis are explored along with problems associated with conceptual designs models. Chapter 4 highlights Summative and Formative Evaluations techniques for incorporating iterative testing into a design process. The advantages and disadvantages of paper prototyping are enumerated. Chapters 5, 6 &7 focus on various testing plans and actions using examples from student and client project as case study to support the findings. Chapter 5 specifically deals with planning and uses Hotmail as a case study to show how planning can be put into practice. Goals setting, how to plan and select exact tasks, results categorization, method of data collection, and documentation of a test plan are outlined. The method(s) of recruiting participants/clients (either directly or indirectly) who will partake in the tests are discussed in chapter 6. Chapter 7 looks at a typical test day, duties like handling participants to briefing to debriefing others. After the test, data organising through the use of methods such as top down or bottom up process, quantitative data measurements, data interpretation is explained. Chapter 8 provides guidance on reporting results. Results should be reported to organisations in oral, written or videotaped formats and will help in analysing findings from the user test through finding and determining problems; their scopes and severity and making recommendations. Using documented research, the final chapter focuses on web usability, outlines some ‘top-10’ web design mistakes in web architecture and the extent of its design problems. The usability inspection test and other web analysis tools are discussed. Conclusion The author provides end -of –chapter references, end-of –chapter summaries, links to the next chapter in a coming up section which are useful for additional reading. To ensure proper understanding, discussions, questions and exercises which can be used in the classroom, for training and other purposes are provided at the end of each chapter. Though Usability is defined and in the book with the user in focus, product quality should not be seen to suffer. For User centered designs to be consistent and in tune, usability testing should be done frequently. References Barnaum, Carol M; Dragga, Sam (Ed). (2002). Usability Testing and Research. New York: Longman Galitz, Wilbert O. (1997). The essential guide to user interface design: an Introduction to GUI Principles and Techniques. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Zetie, Carl (1995). Practical user interface design: making GUIs work. London: McGraw Hill. Read More