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Standards
◦ User interface standard

Design Guidelines

Style Guide
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Official, publicly available documents that
define standards for user interface design
◦ ISO 9241 – Ergonomic requirements for office work
with visual display terminals
◦ ISO 14914 – Software ergonomics
◦ ISO 13407 – Human-centered design process
◦ ISO 20282 – Operation of everyday products
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Benefits:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Systems are easier to understand and use
Discomfort and stress are reduced
User satisfaction is improved
Productivity and efficiency is improved
Quality, aesthetics and impact are improved
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
Essential Elements
◦ Active involvement of and clear understanding of
users
◦ Appropriate allocation of functions between users
and technology
◦ Iteration of design solutions
◦ Multidisciplinary design perspective
 Next: Style Guides
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A typical guide includes:
◦ Description of required interaction styles and user
interface controls
◦ Guidance on when and how to use the various
styles or controls
◦ Illustrations of styles and controls
◦ Screen templates
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
Apple Interface Guidelines
Microsoft Windows XP UI Guidelines
IBM’s Common User Access
Motif Style Guide
Sun Microsystems’ Java Look and Feel
K Desktop Environment
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



Helps focus on design issues early
Enables use of principles and guidelines
Steer decision making and serve as record
Ensures consistency
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 Design
Principles: Simplicity,
Structure, Consistency, and
Tolerance
◦ Simplicity
◦ Structure
◦ Consistency
◦ Tolerance
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Fig 9.1
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Organization of the UI in a meaningful way
Fig 9.2
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Uniformity in appearance, placement, and
behavior
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Prevent user from making mistakes
◦ Prevention
◦ Recoverability
 Forward error recovery - system accepts the error and
helps the user to accomplish their goal
 Backward error recovery – undo the effects of the
previous interaction
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 Accessibility
◦ The Principles of Universal Design
◦ W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
◦ Section 508
◦ The Limitations of Guidelines
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Equitable use – useful to diverse abilities
Flexibility in use – accommodates a wide range
Simple and intuitive use – easy to use & learn
Perceptible information – communicates
effectively
Tolerance for error - minimizes
Low physical effort – minimum fatigue
Size and space for approach and use
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W3c Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

◦
14 general principles of accessible design
1. Provide alternatives to auditory and visual
content
2. Don’t rely on color alone
3. Use markup and style sheets properly
4. Clarify natural language usage
5. Create tables that transform gracefully
6. New technology pages transform gracefully
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7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Ensure user control of time-sensitive content
changes
Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user
interfaces
Design for device independence
Use interim solutions (for older browsers to
function)
Use W3C technologies and guidelines
Provide context and or entation information
Provide clear navigation mechanisms
Ensure that documents are clear and simple
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Federal Guidelines
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 The Benefits of Recording Design Decisions
 Maintains decision process
 Valuable to justify design decisions
◦ How to Record Design Decisions
 Document only key decisions
 Tabular design is easiest to comprehend
 Categorized by date
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a)
a)
a)
Original work – What was given as the
current system?
What were the usability principles chosen?
Give the initial prototype for Tokairo and
what was changed in the prototype?
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