Yearly Archives: 2015

Flat User Interface Design on the desktop

The move to a flat user interface aesthetic is rooted in the desire to provide a more efficient, user-friendly experience. It sees the realism at the foundation of Skeuomorphic design as no longer necessary in an age of computer-savvy consumers. Flat design strives to bring simplicity to interfaces, in turn providing a more rewarding User…

Absence of visual style in UI wireframes

Since wireframes are meant to convey design concepts and information architecture, visual clarity is an absolute must. Stakeholders need to be able to see the structure and strategy for the User Interface system without getting distracted by how each element will look in the final design. A wireframe should allow them to examine the what, why…

The principles of good UI Design

Make the design as simple as possible.  The more complex the UI solution, the more it creates confusion, increases human error and slows people down. Establish visual hierarchy. Size, position, contrast, and color are used to emphasize importance and a visual hierarchy that is instant and intuitive. Insist on consistency. Consistent behavior in every aspect…

The importance of "Why" in User Interface Design

Sometimes clients feel they already know what their customers are like so user research and usability testing is not needed. Unfortunately, these clients often assume that they and their product’s users are exactly alike. At this point it becomes important to ask the question how do we know this about the users, and more importantly,…

Formative usability testing and Medical UI Design

When approaching user interface design for medical devices, designers need to design for more tech-savvy users as well as older users who became established in their medical careers before computer technology became such an embedded part of everyday life. A younger emerging group of technology-fluent users may require different design needs than the less technology-fluent…