Software Engineering

UNIT-3

USER INTERFACE DESIGN

USER INTERFACE
DESIGN

 The visual part of a computer application

or operating system through which a
client interacts with a computer or
software.
 It determines how commands are given to
the computer or the program and how
data is displayed on the screen.
Types of User Interface

 There are two main types of User

Interface:
• Text-Based User Interface or Command
Line Interface
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Text-Based User Interface

 This method relies primarily on the

keyboard.
 Example of this interface is UNIX.
Advantages

• Many and easier to customizations

options.
• Typically capable of more important
tasks.
Disadvantages

• Relies heavily on recall rather than

recognition.
• Navigation is often more difficult.
Graphical User Interface
(GUI)
 GUI relies much more heavily on the
mouse.
 Example of this type of interface is any
versions of the Windows operating
systems.
 GUI Characteristics

GUI Characteristics
Characteristics Descriptions

Windows Multiple windows allow different information to be

displayed simultaneously on the user's screen.

Icons Icons different types of information. On some

systems, icons represent files. On other icons
describes processes.

Menus Commands are selected from a menu rather than

typed in a command language.

Pointing A pointing device such as a mouse is used for

selecting choices from a menu or indicating items of
interests in a window.

Graphics Graphics elements can be mixed with text or the

same display.
Advantages

• Less expert knowledge is required to use

it.
• Easier to Navigate and can look through
folders quickly in a guess and check
manner.
• The user may switch quickly from one
task to another and can interact with
several different applications.
Disadvantages

• Typically decreased options.

• Usually less customizable. Not easy to use
one button for tons of different variations.
UI Design Principles
 Structure:
•  Design should organize the user interface
purposefully, in the meaningful and usual
based on precise, consistent models that
are apparent and recognizable to users.
• The structure principle is concerned with
overall user interface architecture.
 Simplicity: The design should make the
simple, common task easy,
communicating clearly and directly in the
user's language, and providing good
shortcuts that are meaningfully related to
longer procedures.
 Visibility: The design should make all
required options and materials for a given
function visible without distracting the
user with extraneous or redundant data.
 Feedback: The design should keep users
informed of actions or interpretation,
condition, and bugs or exceptions that are
relevant and of interest to the user through
clear, concise, and familiar to users.
 Tolerance: The design should be flexible
and tolerant, decreasing the cost of errors
and misuse also preventing bugs wherever
possible by tolerating varied inputs and
sequences and by interpreting all
reasonable actions.
Unified Process model

The unified process model (or UPM

is an iterative, incremental, architecture-
centric, and use-case driven approach
for developing software.
.
Phases of Unified Process
Model

Inception:
•Inwhich you collect requirements from the
customer and analyze the project's
feasibility, its cost, risks, and profits
•Communication and planning are the main
ones.
•Customers’ requirements are identified and then it
becomes easy to make a plan for the project
•The project plan, Project goal, risks, use-case model,
and Project description, are made.
•The project is checked against the milestone criteria
and if it couldn’t pass these criteria then the project
can be either canceled or redesigned.
Elaboration –
• Planning and modeling are the main ones.
• A detailed evaluation and development
plan is carried out and diminishes the
risks.
• Revise or redefine the use-case model
(approx. 80%), business case, and risks.
• Again, checked against milestone criteria and
if it couldn’t pass these criteria then again
project can be canceled or redesigned.
• Executable architecture baseline.
Construction :
• The project is developed and completed.
• System or source code is created and then
testing is done.
• Coding takes place.
Transition :
• The final project is released to the public.
• Transit the project from development into
production.
• Update project documentation.
• Beta testing is conducted.
• Defects are removed from the project
based on feedback from the public.
Production :
• The final phase of the model.
• The project is maintained and updated
accordingly.
Advantages:

1. It provides good documentation, it

completes the process in itself.
2. It provides risk-management support.
3. It reuses the components, and hence total
time duration is less.
4. Good online support is available in the
form of tutorials and training.
Disadvantages:

1. Team of expert professional is required,

as the process is complex.
2. Complex and not properly organized
process.
3. More dependency on risk management.
4. Hard to integrate again and again.
Characteristics of a user
interface

 Speed of learning. A good user

interface should be easy to learn.
Speed of learning is hampered by
complex syntax and semantics of the
command issue procedures. A good
user interface should not require its
users to memorize commands.
 Speed of use. Speed of use of a user
interface is determined by the time
and user effort necessary to initiate
and execute different commands.
 Speed of recall. Once users learn
how to use an interface, the speed
with which they can recall the
command issue procedure should be
maximized.
 Error prevention. A good user interface should
minimize the scope of committing errors while initiating
different commands.

 Attractiveness. A good user interface should be

attractive to use. In this respect, graphics-based user
interfaces have a definite advantage over text-based
interfaces.
 Consistency. The commands supported by a user
interface should be consistent. Consistency facilitates
speed of learning, speed of recall, and also helps in
reduction of error rate.
 Feedback. A good user interface must provide
feedback to various user actions.
 Error recovery (undo facility). While issuing
commands, even the expert users can commit errors.
Therefore, a good user interface should allow a user to
undo a mistake committed by him while using the
interface.
 User guidance and on-line help. Users seek
guidance and on-line help when they either forget a
command or are unaware of some features of the
software. Whenever users need guidance or seek help
from the system, they should be provided with the
appropriate guidance and help.