Specifications

8 | USER INTERFACE
DESIGN GUIDE
Consistency
Visuals must be consistent to help the users find their way through an interface. Consistency allows users to transfer existing
knowledge to new tasks, learn new things more quickly and focus more attention on tasks. This is because they do not have
to spend time trying to remember the differences in interaction. By providing a sense of stability, consistency makes the
interface familiar and predictable. Consistency is important through all aspects of the interface, including names of tasks,
visual presentation of information, operational behavior, and placement of elements on the screen and within windows.
There should be a standard set of forms, colors, shapes, textures and other design elements in an interface. The set of
controls that help users orient themselves and anticipate what will happen when they touch something should be clear and
the same throughout the interface.
Naming Conventions
When users encounter files, buttons or tools they didn’t create that have meaningless or indecipherable names, they have
no way of knowing which application they belong to or what their function is. You can improve this situation in a number of
ways. Avoid cryptic names, especially those that include obscure abbreviations. Similarly, use appropriate capitalization in
names for a consistent, recognizable appearance. Whenever possible, use common task labels. When you create a new task
or folder type, the user should be able to identify the type with little thought. Finally, password protecting tasks that the user
should not need to edit better ensures that settings which affect the global function of the interface will not be changed.
Folders should not be hidden however, because users may need to access this folder for support reasons at some point in
the future.
Visual Design Principles and Methodologies
While interaction design establishes defining behaviors, gestures, and responses, it is visual design that brings those
elements to life. The key to successful visual design for touch panels is a design that subconsciously teaches the user. The
user can visually see where to touch or slide without explicit instruction. This is challenging because while visual design
should add beauty and branding to the experience, it should never distract from the content. Designing for touch panels
means creating an extensible design vocabulary with specific attributes, a language of shapes, forms, colors, and controls
that help visually guide users through tasks to meet their goals. A well-designed user interface is built on principles and a
development process that center on users and their tasks. The following guidelines provide practical ways to embody the
visual design principles.