Software Engineering Resources
	User Interface Design User interface design (UID) creates an effective communication medium between a human and a computer. Following a set of interface design principles, design identifies interface objects and actions and then creates a screen layout that forms the basis for an user interface prototype. The following resource categories are considered: User Interface Design (UID) Usability Human-Computer Interface (HCI) Design Books User Interface Design (UID) A Summary of Principles for User-Interface Design "This document represents a compilation of fundamental principles for designing user interfaces, which have been drawn from various books on interface design, as well as my own experience." Recommended. Interaction-Design Encyclopedia An open-content, peer-reviewed Encyclopedia covering Interaction Design and related fields. UID Principles A detailed paper that discusses a number of important UID principles. User interface design Brief overview with many cross references to related topics. User Interface Design Tips, Techniques, and Principles Excerpted from Scott Ambler's Object Primer. Recommended. User-Interface Design Resources A brief discussion following by a useful set on links to UID resources. Tog's First Principles of Interaction Design In depth guidelines from a well respected expert.. Recommended. 12 Useful Techniques for Good User interface Design Although focuses on WebApps, these guidelines can serve any App. UID Guidelines Developed at Cornell, this document is intended to be an introduction to the issues involved in designing user interfaces. UID Resources A collection of pointers to user interface design (UID) and usability information. User Interface Toolkits - 1 A comprehensive listing of UI toolkits. However, the site is no longer updated. User Interface Toolkits - 2 A comprehensive catalog of free GUI Toolkits including platform support and contact information. Task-Centered UID A book length treatment by Clayton Lewis and John Reiman. UID Bibliography A collection of print and network-accessible books on UID. User Interface Design - Taking the Good with the Bad Commentary on UID. MIT's User Interface Design Group Useful pointers, discussion and resource links. UI Design Patterns A reasonably detailed discussion of UI design patterns. Innovative user interface design A discussion of a few innovative UI mechanisms. pdf: A Pattern-Supported Approach to the User Interface Design Process Using a concrete example from the telecommunications domain, we will focus on a task/subtask pattern to illustrate how knowledge about a task and an appropriate interaction design solution can be captured and communicated. Video: Desktop Prototype - www.bumptop.com Advanced interface features. Some food for thought. Usability Usability An indepth discussion presented at Wikipedia. Usability.gov Excellent discussion, guidelines and resources for UI design. Recommended. Usability Resources Useful links for usability resources. Usability Resources 11,000 + articles about usability, accessibility, IA, HCI and web design Usability Body of Knowledge Many resources and other useful pointers. Guide to Usability for Software Engineers Detailed guidelines developed at the Univ. of Maryland. Usability Commentary by Jacon Neilsen-one of the mostwell respected experts in usability. Recommended. Ten Usability Heuristics Jacob Nielsen describes 10 guidelines that improve usability. Ergonomic Guidelines Eleven guidelines for designing more usable interfaces. Usability Research A wide array of usability information provided by Microsoft. Ease of Use An excellent source of GUI design guidelines, methods, and references prepared by IBM. The Usability Methods Toolbox A comprehensive collection of information on usability methods, including inspections, testing, and prototyping. Recommended. Guidelines for the Apple Aqua Interface Insight into the most advanced user interface available for PCs. The Usability Methods Toolbox A comprehensive set of guidelines by James Hom. Usability Evaluation Methods Many useful pointers to techniques and resources. Video: What is Usability Brief presentation that provided a worthwhile overview. Video: 10 minute usability - MADD.org (case Study) A good dissection of a real website. Video: Usability and Software Architecture: The Forgotten Problems "January 26, 2007 lecture by Bonnie John for the Stanford University Human Computer Interaction Seminar." (1:11:07) Human Computer Interface (HCI) Design HCI Resources: Guidelines, Style Guides, Standards - 1 HCI Resources: Guidelines, Style Guides, Standards - 2 Worthwhile collections of pointers to HCI information. HCI Resources Human-computer interaction resources on the net are list by topic. HCI Design Patterns Introduces a pattern language for HCI Designs HCI Resources: WWW/Internet Resources A worthwhile set of HCI links.  Books Graphical user interfaces are ubiquitous in the modern world of computing. Whether it an ATM, a mobile phone, a PDA, a Web site, or a business application, the user interface provides a window into the software. It is for this reason that books addressed interface design abound. There are literally hundreds of books on interface design. The following selection provide in-depth knowledge: The Design of Everyday Things although specifically about human/computer interfaces this book has much to say about the psychology of effective design applies to the user interface. It is recommended reading for anyone who is serious about doing high-quality interface design. The following books all discuss usability, user interface concepts, principles, and design techniques and contain many useful examples: User Interface Design for Mere Mortals(TM) The Essential Guide to User Interface Design Personal Content Experience: Managing Digital Life in the Mobile Age About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design Designing the Mobile User Experience Coordinating User Interfaces for Consistency User Interface Design: A Software Engineering Perspective Usability Engineering The Essential Guide to User Interface Design About Face 2.0: The Essentials of User Interface Design Contextual Design: A Customer Centered Approach to Systems Design The Humane Interface Software for Use The Usability Engineering Lifecycle In Your Face Too!: The Best of Interactive Interface Design GUI Design Handbook GUI Design Essentials Designing Visual Interfaces: Communication Oriented Techniques GUI Bloopers: Don’ts and Do’s for Software Developers and Web Designers provides useful guidance for those that learn more effectively by examining counter-examples. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum discusses why high tech products drive us crazy how to design ones that don’t. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design presents task analysis and modeling are pivotal interface design activities. User Interface Design: Bridging the Gap from User Requirements to Design considers the analysis activity for interfaces and the transition to design tasks. Scenario-Based Design: Envisioning Work and Technology in System Development is one of the first books to present the subject of scenarios in user-interface design. Constructing the User Interface with Statecharts proposes a formal method for design of user interfaces, based on state-based behavior modeling A number of books focus on usability evaluation. Among them: Handbook of Usability Testing Usability Inspection Methods User Interface Design and Evaluation Front Panel: Designing Software for Embedded User Interfaces provides detailed guidance for the design of interfaces for embedded systems and addresses safety hazards inherent in controls, handling heavy machinery, and interfaces for medical or transport systems. Advanced Instrumentation and Computer I/O Design also presents interface design for embedded products.