This appears intuitive, and yet these considerations are so typically lacking. A superb user interface design can spell the difference between acceptance of a software item and its failure within the marketplace. If the end-users find the software to be too cumbersome or hard to comprehend, then an otherwise superb product might be doomed to failure. The developer’s goal need to be to create the software as professional-looking and easy to make use of as achievable.
Sadly, I’ve found that an awesome number of companies–small or highly specialized software firms–pay little attention to the mechanics of very good user interface style. “As lengthy as it works, that’s what matters!” appears to be their mantra, with small regard for the inconvenience that this imposes on the user.
Thankfully, that is not how we operate at our firm. Our team of developers invests considerable effort into generating out user interfaces as intuitive and foolproof as probable, given that we know that this is some thing our shoppers would appreciate. I’ve frequently commended my teammates for recognizing that excellence is worth pursuing.
Going back to the subject. I can’t bear in mind how numerous times I’ve encountered software that was created to function, but with little regard for ease of use. If the software forces the operator to continually consult a manual or a cheat sheet, then that is a pretty good indication that the user interface needs improvement. Similarly, the software ought to enable the user to perform tasks promptly and efficiently, without having sacrificing power and flexibility. This appears intuitive, and but these considerations are so frequently lacking.
The sad part is that these shortcomings can often be cured employing a number of basic guidelines. For example, it helps if the user can enter information employing buttons and list boxes, as an alternative to typing it in by hand. It assists if the software gives pop-up dialog boxes, to guide the user along the way. Even the judicious choice of icons and other graphics can turn a steep understanding curve into a brief and gentle slope.
For that matter, even such trivial matters as spelling and grammar deserve attention. Poorly phrased instructions can severely hinder an operator–and even if they do not, they do reflect poorly on the developers of that application.
There is much more that will be said about the mechanics of excellent UI Design but that is a topic on which entire book might be (and have been) written. Suffice to say that a corporation that strives for excellence should pay close attention to the elements of software usability and flexibility. These are important elements of software excellence, and they are worth pursuing.
