Salpicaderos Digitales

Los salpicaderos digitales (digital dashboards) mejor conocidos como cuadros de mando digitales son una herramienta de visualización en tiempo real de los indicadores críticos de negocio que ayudan a la toma de decisiones empresariales. Su uso se extiende y avanza desde la élite ejecutiva hacia la ubicuidad.

Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2004). (Spanish) Articles>User Interface>Management

The Sanctity of Elements, or Why You Shouldn't Be Double-Clicking in a TEXTAREA

All-too-frequently an external client or an internal manager or co-worker demands interface changes. They usurp the design process -- taking the decision-making away from the experts -- and deign the interface by dictum rather than traditional development processes, to the detriment of the product.

Hourihan, Meg. O'Reilly and Associates (2002). Design>Web Design>User Interface>Usability

Seductive User Interfaces

Traditionally, human-factors specialists have had a rather severe attitude toward human performance with computers: their goal was maximum throughput, often measured in transactions per minute. This attitude was justified when computers were mainly work-related; in some cases it still proves wise. For example, a usability improvement that shaves one second off the time it takes a directory-assistance operator to search a database for a telephone number saves several million dollars per year in the U.S. alone. This performance-obsessed approach to usability led many early user interface experts to condemn the popular term 'user friendly' with the argument that users didn't need "friendly" computers, they needed efficient designs that let them complete their tasks faster.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>User Interface>Usability

Seeing the World in Symbols: Icons and the Evolving Language of Digital Wayfinding

Of all the objects that occupy our digital spaces, there are none that capture the imagination so much as icons. As symbols, icons can communicate powerfully, be delightful, add to the aesthetic value of software, engage people's curiosity and playfulness, and encourage experimentation. These symbols are key components of a graphic user interface--mediators between our thoughts and actions, our intentions and accomplishments.

Follett, Jonathan. UXmatters (2006). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Graphic Design

Selection-Dependent Inputs

Successful Web applications tend to grow--both in terms of capability and complexity. And this increasing complexity is often passed on to and absorbed by a Web application's forms. In addition to needing more input fields, labels, and Help text, forms with a growing number of options may also require selection-dependent inputs.

Wroblewski, Luke. UXmatters (2007). Articles>Web Design>User Interface>Forms

Shortening the Cycle

How do we reduce time and costs and still achieve good results? Thirteen usability professionals joined forces in a workshop to develop answers to this question. The results are presented here in two parts: Four lists of recommendations in areas developed from specific issues. An inventory of techniques that have worked for the workshop participants in the past

Bugental, J.O. 'Joe' and Kristin Travis. Usability Professionals Association (2001). Design>User Interface>User Centered Design

Simplicity Is Highly Overrated

I am in favor of good design and attractive products. Easy to use products. But when it comes time to purchase, people tend to go for the more powerful products, and they judge the power by the apparent complexity of the controls. If that is what people use as a purchasing choice, we must provide it for them. While making the actual complexity low, the real simplicity high. That's an exciting design challenge: make it look powerful while also making it easy to use. And attractive. And affordable. And functional. And environmentally appropriate. Accessible to all. That's why I like design: it presents wonderful challenges.

Norman, Donald A. uiGarden (2007). Design>User Interface>User Centered Design>Minimalism

Simplicity: The Distribution of Complexity

Achieving simplicity is not that simple when you are dealing with complex modern device design. Rob Tannen mused on lazy shortcuts, artificial constraints and Maeda's crusade on the complex.

Tannen, Rob. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>User Interface>Theory>Minimalism

Sistemas Multimodales

La interfaz entre humanos y computadoras adolece todavía de muchas deficiencias. Los sistemas multimodales, que utilizan elementos multibiométricos, interfaces multimodales y sistemas multisensoriales están empezando a paliar muchas de ellas.

Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2004). (Spanish) Articles>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface

Small Multiples Within a User Interface

Many software programs provide access to, and let users work with, large amounts of information. In addition to interactions that allow users to create, edit, and expand massive data sets, these information-rich applications must also support effective data interpretation. Data monitoring, reporting, and modeling applications require people to makes sense of large amounts of information quickly and easily. It should come as no surprise, then, that for such applications many interface design problems are actually information design problems. As a result, we can leverage information design solutions when tackling such problems. Using small multiples is one such solution.

Wroblewski, Luke. UXmatters (2005). Design>User Interface

Software Features and Changes Needed for Better Viewing

With Netscape, when you first load this page, none of the following links are marked as 'already seen'. IE is very bad on this point: when you load this page, all the links below (internal page A NAME links) are marked as 'already seen'. That is, Netscape tracks internal page jumps; IE doesn't recognize them; in its history tracking, it lumps together all the links for a page as being identical with the overall page as a destination. This is a great example of a basic feature that is very much needed.

Hoffman, Michael. Hypertext Navigation. Design>Web Design>User Interface>Web Browsers

Solid Ajax Applications, Part 2: Building Ajax Back Ends

Back end processing -- server-side scripts and programs -- can't always be tossed into an Ajax application and behave well. Instead, careful planning to ensure data is sent in an appropriate and efficient form ensures your entire application is cohesive, rather than needlessly complex. Brett McLaughlin explains how a good server-side script complements Ajax behavior.

McLaughlin, Brett D. IBM (2008). Articles>User Interface>Ajax

Some Tips On Navigation

Creating navigation systems, and the information structures that underlie them, is obviously a central aspect of the development of any product or web interface. Although some users may prefer not to use navigation systems, or even ignore them entirely, for many they will be an invaluable means of discovering content or functionality. Getting these structures right is an important element in designing a successful interface. Unfortunately, getting them right isn't particularly easy. In some instances it can be, but usually there is no simple way to short-circuit the process of categorisation and presentation that constitutes a navigational system. However, in this short article we do attempt to provide some brief pointers. Although we focus on web navigation, many of these suggestions are equally relevant in software interface design and indeed other technologies.

Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Web Design>User Interface

Spatial Interactive Visualization on Small Screen  

The amount of data stored in personal digital devices increases rapidly as their memory capacities increase. These devices are usually equipped with relatively small displays, which makes presenting the information a challenge. We set out to explore the spatial design space for small screen user interfaces by incorporating additional dimensions into the visual representation, and investigate techniques that may be used to display more information at once. We focus on interactive visualization, with a document manager as a target application. We present the design factors and a simulated application running on a desktop computer. We also report a formative usability study with promising results.

Hakala, Tero, Juha Lehikoinen and Antti Aaltonen. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Computer Interaction (2005). Design>User Interface>Wireless Web

Speech-Enable Web Applications Using RDC with Voice Toolkit

Speech applications have come to be in demand with many applications, which can sound daunting to developers who have never before made provisions for speech. Don't put it off, though, believing that it means a massive rewriting of your current offerings. It is now possible to enhance current Web applications, or develop new ones, with the Voice Toolkit and Reusable Dialog Components. Learn to construct successful voice apps, and without a big learning curve.

Dhanakshirur, Girish. IBM (2005). Articles>Web Design>User Interface>Audio

Streamlining an Interface Using Information Design Principles  

Describes a process for improving interface usability.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2004). Design>Usability>User Interface

Streamlining an Interface Using Information Design Principles  

'Information design' is the art and science of understanding problems from the product user's standpoint, and using that understanding to select an appropriate mix of graphics and text that supports the design and presents necessary information appropriately. This progression topic presents a simple, iterative way to examine a design problem, and uses that approach to solve a common design problem (using space more efficiently in a software interface).

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Information Design>User Interface

Structuring Content for Web Interface Usability

It's a well known fact that many users - both novice and expert - have difficulty finding information on websites even when they know it's there somewhere. What is less clearly understood is why - beyond the obvious fact that there is always a challenge involved in enabling access to a huge variety of information from a single entry point. When addressing this challenge, the initial focus often tends to be on the 'navigational' structures, and how the site is mapped and organised. But in reality, users tend to rely less on these navigational aids than some web designers might imagine. Most users are more concerned with achieving their goal than understanding the logical structure of the application they are using, and tend to gravitate towards the content they are looking for by following 'scent', which can best be thought of as a clear signpost to content 'below' through links and content 'above'.

Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Design>Web Design>User Interface

Stupid Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes are program-driven, not user-driven. Care must be taken that dialog boxes not only present useful options but also that they allow users to select those options.

Berg, Neil. CHIlabs (2002). Design>User Interface

Take Advantage of Technology

Use technology to simplify existing processes, and take advantage of what users already understand.

Baker, Adam. Merges.net (2001). Design>Web Design>User Interface

Taming The Sticky GUI: New Roles for Technical Communicators in Graphical User Interface Design  

As technology is changing rapidly, new roles for technical communicators are evolving. Sometimes by design, sometimes by default, technical communicators are finding themselves working in a new area, that of Graphical User Interface (GUI) design. This paper will explore 5 different roles which are being done by people with technical communication skills, and will discuss ways to develop the needed new skills to make these roles effective and productive.

Dray, Susan. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>TC>User Interface

Task Analysis and Associated User Interfaces for CD-ROM  

With its enormous storage capacity, cost-effectiveness, and convenience, the CD-ROM is quickly becoming a significant research and business tool. To retrieve data from the CD-ROM, users access a search program that helps them select a subset of data from the entire database. Because the selection includes a series of complex tasks that most users are unfamiliar with, user interfaces must be task-oriented as well as intuitive and interactive. Even with a variety of interfaces, users wanted more paper documentation. When users have little experience or familiarity with the concepts and the tasks, written documentation is a better information source than computer-based information.

Feinberg, Susan G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>User Interface>CD ROM

Task Based Documentation and Good User Interface Go Hand in Hand

As I write the 'how to' documentation based upon the in-process design, the weaknesses of my original design become apparent and I go back and forth from writing text to designing the software until it all flows.

Ferlazzo, Ellen Lawson. Sprezzatura Systems (2002). Articles>Documentation>User Interface>Usability

Task-Centered User Interface Design

The central goal of this book is to teach the reader how to design user interfaces that will enable people to learn computer systems quickly and use them effectively, efficiently, and comfortably. The interface issues addressed are primarily cognitive, that is, having to do with mental activities such as perception, memory, learning, and problem solving. Physical ergonomic issues such as keyboard height or display contrast are covered only briefly.

Lewis, Clayton and John Rieman. HCIbib.org (1994). Books>Usability>User Interface