Fundamentals of Graphical User Interface Design

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to teach fundamental guidelines and principles for designing better user interfaces to software developers working on products for currently available platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Motif, Macintosh, and Open Look. Interfaces designed according to these guidelines and principles will be more marketable in today's competitive market and will enable significantly greater user productivity and satisfaction. Upon completion of this course, software designers and developers should be able to:

1. Analyze users' characteristics, and apply this analysis to the design of the user interface,
2. Design an appropriate high-level conceptual model for a product interface, given user and task characteristics,
3. Design a better user interface by following guidelines for menu design, functional organization and navigation, window and dialog box layout, error handling, and response time.

COURSE CONTENT

This course presents principles and guidelines drawn from the substantial collection of research, case studies, and design experience of experts in the fast- growing field of computer-human interaction. It offers examples of implementing guidelines in the context of standard GUI platform capabilities and constraints. Students solve design problems in exercises to reinforce the principles being taught.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This course is intended for designers and developers of interactive software systems who are (or will be) implementing products on standard GUI platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Open Look and Motif. The course level is introductory - no background in human factors is assumed, and only minimal experience with GUI platforms is required. Some experience with interactive software systems is assumed.

Companies And Organizations Who Have Benefited
from Our Courses :

"Fundamentals of Graphical User Interface Design"

"Principles and Guidelines in User Interface Design"

Comments from Participants of
"Fundamentals of GUI Design"

"The instructor's depth and breadth of knowledge about GUI design and principles is the best thing about the course."

"A class of this nature is vitally important to the success of any project undertaking a Graphical User Interface. "

"An excellent view of the basics - I realized there is more to it than creating controls and building screens."

"The exercises were fun and beneficial. "

"If you want to learn without having to do all the work, studying, and research on your own, then you will definitely want to take this course."

"This class ranks a 10 on a scale of 10! It's a very important course for companies and individuals who are starting to design and develop graphical user interfaces."

"Taking this course was a positive experience that I will long remember. The content and instructor's presentation is excellent. The instructor is very knowledgable and everything basic that you ever wanted to know about this topic is covered. 10+!"

"Every designer could benefit from the screen organization and design concepts covered..."

"Understanding users and the human factors was interesting and adds alot to our skills."

"The most useful topic was the importance of usability testing..."

"Now I understand how to write error messages ... and how they affect users."

"Susan presented herself and the course very well!"

"The instructor is marvelously patient. Very organized!"

"The instructor was very knowledgeable and communicated information clearly."

"The concepts are immediately useful - even in a non-GUI environment."

"Course ideas and content are very valuable..."

GUI Design: Beyond the Fundamentals

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The course goes beyond the introductory course titled "Fundamentals of Graphical User Interface Design", offered by Deborah J. Mayhew & Associates, and offers in-depth coverage of three important topics in graphical interface design: designing a "conceptual model", custom graphical controls, and designing for international users. Upon completion of this course, software designers and developers should be able to:

1. Provide a solid foundation for all detailed UI design through the design of a good conceptual model,
2. Design usable custom controls,
3. Design to allow most efficient and effective translation of an interface to other languages and cultures,

COURSE CONTENT

The segment on designing the conceptual model discusses psychological research on user models, and provides principles and guidelines for providing a coherent and natural framework for the application interface, including appropriate use of standard GUI "widgets" (e.g. list boxes, radio buttons, drop down combo boxes, etc.), natural intuitive presentation of user manipulable objects, consistent use of the different types of windows (e.g. application and document), and clear well structured design of the menu bar and pulldowns. Demos of two prototype applications are presented to further illustrate design principles. The segment on the design of custom graphical controls presents and discusses deep, underlying principles for designing usable controls of any type, and provides specific examples of applying these principles to graphical controls. Attendees are asked to bring in controls they have designed or encountered for analysis according to the principles presented. The segment on designing for international users lays out all of the interface components which must be tailored to different languages and cultures. Many examples from different languages and cultures are offered, and common pitfalls are noted. Throughout the course, design exercises are conducted in class to reinforce principles taught.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This course is intended for designers and developers building software products on standard "GUI" platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Open Look and Motif. The course level is advanced; substantial experience designing on GUI platforms is assumed and an introductory course on user interface design is highly recommended.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS

DAY ONE Conceptual Models Dialog Style Rules EXERCISE User Models - Research DAY TWO User Models - Research (cont'd) Designing User Manipulable Objects Rules for the Use of Windows EXERCISE Menu Bar Design EXERCISE Summary: The Design Process

DAY THREE Customer Graphical Controls Key Principles Student Demos EXERCISE Designing for International Users Language Conventional Formats Visual Elements: Icons and Graphics Color Functionality and Structure Summary

Course developed by Deborah J. Mayhew, Ph.D., Deborah J. Mayhew & Associates

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Managing the Design of the User Interface

COURSE OUTLINE (ONE DAY)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of practical methods and techniques for designing good user interfaces, which can be applied by software managers, designers and developers during the course of product development. Upon completion of this course managers and developers should be able to:

1. Analyze the costs and benefits of applying human factors methods during product development,
2. Design organizational structures and processes to foster good interface design,
3. Plan for and manage the use of human factors techniques within the overall project plan,
4. Effectively evaluate design alternatives by defining and prioritizing objective goals and criteria,
5. Strengthen interface design decisions by applying quick and inexpensive interface evaluation techniques.

COURSE CONTENT

Methods and techniques presented include not only design and evaluation techniques, but also organizational and managerial strategies. The course is organized around a typical project life cycle, and presents human factors methods which can be applied at different points in the development process. Topics include: 1) organization and managerial strategies which support interface design, 2) information gathering methods which support preliminary design and specification, 3) testing and evaluation methods for testing simulations and prototypes, and 4) methods for assessing products once they are installed at user sites.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This course is intended for both managers and individual contributors who work in software development organizations and have responsibility for the quality of product user interfaces. Some experience designing user interfaces will be assumed, although background in human factors or cognitive science is not required.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS

Introduction Organization Organizational Structures Reporting Structures Skill Mix Organizational Processes Cost/Benefit Analysis Accountability Planning Implementing standards User Involvement Phase 1: Scoping Project Planning User Profile Hardware/Software Definition Phase 2: Functional Specification Task Analysis Goal and Priority Setting

Phase 3: Design Mockups Walkthroughs Paper & Pencil Simulation Testing Writing the Style Guide Detailed User Interface Design Usability Test Plan Prototyping Iterative Usability Testing Phase 4: Development System Test Plan Phase 5: Test/Implementation Iterative Usability Testing System Evaluation

Course developed by Deborah J. Mayhew, Ph.D., Deborah J. Mayhew & Associates

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The courses offered by Fischer Consulting Services, "Fundamentals in Graphical User Interface Design" and "Principles and Guidelines in User Interface Design," were developed by Deborah J. Mayhew, Ph.D., of Deborah J. Mayhew & Associates. Dr. Mayhew is a free-lance consultant in the area of computer-human interaction and has written the book, Principles and Guidelines in Software User Interface Design, Prentice Hall, 1992. Dr. Mayhew has extensive experience in both designing and testing user interfaces to commercial software products. She obtained her Ph.D. in Experimental Cognitive Psychology at Tufts University and worked for many years in the computer industry as a software developer and human factors specialist. She was then appointed Assistant Professor at Northeastern University, Boston, MA, in the College of Computer Science where she taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in both principles and methods of interface design.

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© 1996 Fischer Consulting Services. All rights reserved.