Specifications

4 | USER INTERFACE
DESIGN GUIDE
Overview
AMX touch panels bridge a relationship between humans and technology, one that unfolds intuitively through the natural input of
touch. This relationship is given space and form through the attention to design. Usability of an interface design is essential to
the success of your touch panels. Investment in the design of your interfaces directly affects your customer’s ability to understand
and use the touch panels. The wide use of features such as icons, gestural touch and nested navigation calls for an increased
consistency between computers, mobile phones, kiosks and other platforms. This means it is vital to consider what types of
computer technology your customers use on an everyday basis and incorporate current standards into your interfaces. To design
compelling touch panel experiences, you must think differently about the user interface (UI) than you do when creating traditional
graphical user interface (GUI) products or Web experiences. The goal of this document is to help the developer and designer create
interfaces and user experiences that best utilize touch screen interaction principles through quality, touch-oriented design. The
core principles for optimal user-interaction paradigms in multi-touch applications are also discussed. Subsequent chapters provide
the principles for visual and textual design along with practical guidelines for implementing them. The design guidelines presented
here are not exact specifications for specific AMX touch panels. Instead, the guidelines include approaches to design great
experiences so you can create user interfaces that provide the most natural user experience.
The Importance of a Well-Designed Interface
A good touch panel interface offers a fun, engaging, and visceral experience without any chance of intimidation. Interaction
design defines the interplay of the software experience with users’ behaviors, responses and gestures. In other words,
interaction design principles are geared toward maximizing the user experience by facilitating the ease with which they can
learn, become immersed in and enjoy the software experience. While closely aligned with purely visual graphic design, audio
design, and textual design, interaction design provides an overall enveloping focus on how well and naturally users interact
with technology. A user interface should smoothly take users from their first touch to full engagement with tasks. If help and
instructions are included, integrate them with the natural flow of use and do not steer attention away from content. If you are
trying to reveal the existence of functions, make those functions apparent at the right moment (when they have an effect).
Following are a list of user-centered design principles to consider which will assist you in creating a successful UI.
The First Experience
Users’ overall success with an application can be influenced heavily by their initial experience. The first impression is a
critical moment in which to gain a user’s trust and confidence. After an interface is started, the user should be able to use it
productively within the first five minutes. Keep in mind that users will need to use your interface immediately to complete a