User interface design

System specification proceeds much as before but has an added element of user-interface design. The normal artifacts of system specification—a type model and operation specs—are now accompanied by prototypes and UI specs describing the screens, dialog flows across windows, information presented and required, and reports. These user-interface elements are kept consistent with the type model and are reviewed through scenarios. 

It helps understand the likely frequencies and sequences of use of different operations, influencing the user interface design and internal architecture. 

With the most comprehensive food knowledge base and set of program features, Nutritionist Pro provides thorough analysis of diets, recipes, and menus. The intuitive user interface design and powerful functionality of Nutritionist Pro can help ease the workload and boost the productivity of nutrition professionals in virtually any healthcare delivery, food service, or educational setting. 

Spolsky, User Interface Design for Programmers, http //joelonsoftware.com/ uibook/chapters/Fog0000000057. html (2006). 

Specification is the task of precisely describing the software to be written. It is a good rule to spend considerably more time with specification than with programming. Specification can be divided into several categories for describing functionality, user interface design, or technical aspects of the software. 

The user requirements specification, also referred to as requirements document or release plan, describes the requirements from an operator s point of view. This high-level document does not give any details about how the software actually is constructed, except that it may contain desired user interface designs to address a requirement. 

Don MacLaren (composiion) and Yvette Raven (CD-ROM user interface design) made large contributions to this new edition. Bernard Goodwin (Publisher) of Prentice Hall was extremely helpful and supportive throughout. 

Eberts, R. E. (1994), User Interface Design, Prentice HaU, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 

Mayhew, D. J. (1992), Principles and Guidelines in Software User Interface Design, Prentice Hall,... 

ISO 62366 carefully uses the term use error rather than user error to highlight the fact that many errors are caused not by human carelessness but as a direct result of poor user interface design. It introduces the notion that such design flaws are... 

The five goals of user interface design are often cited as ... 

Sound user interface design requires engagement and close cooperation of representative users. In practice it is insufficient to simply hold a focus group to ask users what their requirements are. A better approach is to formally implement a user-centred design process. Here a small number of representative users are convened and comments are solicited on candidate designs. As the project progresses designers need to offer prototypes or test enviromnent for the subjects to try out the product. 

An iterative, user-centred approach has advantages in many areas of product development but perhaps none more so than in user interface design. Manufacturers should actively plan to work and re-work a user interface many times in the course of a project. Of course the earlier this process begins, the more opportunities there are to tweak the design without compromising project timescales. In the context of a time-bound software development project it may not be realistic to evaluate every screen and function in a system so it makes sense to prioritise those which are used frequently and/or are critical for safety. Even after go-live it is invaluable to solicit feedback from users once they have had the time to use the system in anger and address areas of concern. 

Users will quickly construct mental rules as they operate the systan for the first time. The assimilated rules empower than to go on to proficiently operate unfamiliar parts of the appUcation using the conventions learned in more accustomed areas. To achieve this designers need to strive for consistency in user interface design. For example, if some screens contain buttons labelled Save and Close whilst others have Okay and Cancel for the same functions, this is likely to prove confusing and hinder rule development In fact one of the least technically challenging enhancements to a user interface is to simply ensure that material is labelled appropriately, that abbreviations and ambiguities are avoided and button captions reflect their true function. 

It can be useful for designers to draw up a list of best-practise examples of solid user interface design. These may subsequently form the basis of some user interface safety requiranents. The list might include for example ... 

Perhaps the most important interface is the user interface with which the user operates the system. User interface design is a complex topic and beyond the scope of this book. However, it is key to understand that subtle features of the user interface have the potential to be causes of hazards. Is important clinical information difficult to access, truncated, inappropriately labelled or subject to excessive scrolling Ideally one would identily these potential issues from design material or early prototypes. In some cases the full feel of the user interface can only be assessed once the system has been at least partially built. Projects should therefore plan to assess, redesign and re-assess parts of the user interface where necessary and a CRM assessment of any shortcomings should influence the prioritisation of any areas for re-design. 

Usability experts User interface designers Cognitive psychologists Clinicians System trainers Business analysts Writers... 

The results of course may differ depending on the individuals chosen and a group with a range of expertise might provide the best outcome. One of the characteristics of the technique is that generally the experts are not the intended users of the system. Instead they are individuals with experience and expertise in critically evaluating user interface designs. 

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