One of the biggest hurdles for app and device manufacturers is to design easy-to-use solutions that everyone can take advantage of in a convenient way. How to present information to users and how to guide them through the next stages of action? What is an interface and how to optimally design it?
What is a graphical user interface?
Graphical user interface Graphical User Interface (GUI) is one of the basic types of interfaces. It creates a graphical form of presentation of desktop views, with menus and icons that represent objects and commands that can be executed by the recipient. The user is tasked with indicating which action the program, site or mobile application should perform at a given time, without specialized knowledge about the specifics of its operation “from the inside”.
For communication with a computer or smartphone is used in this case pointing device. It can be a touch indicator, a mouse or a light pen. The command that the user would like to execute is selected using the cursor visible on the screen. The graphical user interface is an extremely important component of a software, website or other product of this type. If it's not efficient and intuitive — the user probably won't want to use it.
Main features of the user interface
A good user interface should primarily be tailored to the expectations and needs of the target audience. It should be created on the basis of o reliable research that helps in determining customer expectations and preferences. All the information needed to create a friendly user interface can be obtained using appropriate research methods — interviews and observations of the behavior of people using its prototype.
There are a lot of expectations for an optimal interface. So what can the user require?
- intuitiveness — it is important for the customer to use the product in question efficiently. The ideal user interface should be simple to perceive and have a clear, understandable screen. It is extremely important to have the right graphics, the observance of certain norms, rules, the arrangement of information,
- functionalities — the interface is to conduct a kind of dialogue with the user, support his actions, explain what is currently being done and inform about errors,
- Aesthetics — the audience is visual and more willing to reach for solutions that suit them visually. Aesthetic solutions are perceived as more useful,
- Reliability — specialists working on the interface need to know how many people the system will be able to handle. It should be tested for correctness and rarely fail,
- speed — the interface must work smoothly and quickly — no user likes to wait long. So it is worth designing it in such a way that it is possible to perform as few necessary steps as possible to achieve the goal,
- responsiveness — An extremely important step is to make sure that the user interface adapts correctly to the screen on which it will be displayed. Another size is the screen of a laptop, another — a tablet, another — a smartphone. A good interface must display correctly on each device.
For the user, the most user-friendly is the natural user interface. Its goal is to liquefy the relationship between the device and the human and adapt the technology to the human — not the other way around. The natural user interface involves the use of human skills and reflexes, such as gestures, hearing or voice. It is convenient to use and intuitive. An example of this is the touch screen, which can be operated by touching and sliding your finger on objects, in the form of digital files. This is much more natural than using a mouse or keyboard.
Types of user interface
The user interface, i.e. input and output devices, enables direct communication between man and machine. In addition to the graphical user interface mentioned earlier, there are also other types of it, such as:
- command line (CLI) — the input device in this case is a keyboard and the output device is a printer or display,
- text-based user interface (TUI) — the input device is a mouse or keyboard, and the output device is a display in character mode,
- website interface (WUI) — in this case, the input and output device is the website that the user displays on the device in question,
- Voice User Interface (VUI) — the input device is a microphone, and the output — speakers,
- gestural user interface — here the input device is the user's body, optionally — a controller designed for this purpose. The output device, in turn, is a display on which the effects of the actions taken are displayed in real time.
The choice of interface is made when creating interactive products for users of a specific target group.
Methods for designing a modern user interface
The design of the user interface follows the methodology UCD stands for User Centered Design. The first stage is to propose a hypothesis and thoroughly analyze it, followed by the implementation of a preliminary plan — a sketch and a mock-up. The whole, of course, requires verification, which consists, among other things, in carrying out research with users. This allows you to catch errors, eliminate them and make corrections.
Each stage of interface design requires the use of appropriate tools. It is worth starting work on the concept, for example, from Benchmarking, that is, analysis of the competition and the solutions it has decided to apply in its products. A good move is also creation of a person, that is, to visualize the future client and give him specific characteristics. This will allow you to better match the solution to the recipient.
The design stage is the transfer of vision to reality. The fastest way to visualize ideas about a concept is Paper Prototyping, that is, a sketch on paper. It is a simple method to show the idea and direction of action and to catch the first shortcomings. The next one is already a study to be carried out with users.
Designing user interfaces are key components of any digital product. It depends on these factors, among other things, what sensations the user will have when communicating with them. If they are negative — he will certainly look for another solution, and if positive — he will stay with your product for longer.
If you are looking for help with UX and UI design — contact us! We will help you find the best solutions.
