User Interfaces Design

Outline
Introduction Focusing on users A functional decomposition for user interfaces Tool selection: the Java singularity Organizational aspects Early design Lifecycle models, processes and approaches UML notation

Introduction
The wealth of GUI design options provided by rich client GUI technologies is still poorly mastered by developers struggling to provide remarkable designs in a cost-effective way. This is what happens when powerful media and technologies lack widespread, deep expertise and practical support.

Focusing on users
Most striking difference between designing and building a desktop application GUI and other software is the presence of the user. Focusing on users means focusing on human details cognitive factors such as perception, memory, learning, problem-solving,etc User-centered design is a well-established set of practices that place users at the heart of GUI design and development.

Focusing on users (contd)

Practices for centering the design and overall iterative development on end users:
Understanding users, their objectives, their current working practices, and the general context in which the software will be used, all of this before starting the design of the user interface. Users and their tasks: User analysisproviding groups of users with their goals and task analysis breaking down tasks in smaller subtasks are two disciplines that aim at defining these issues in useful terms. Participatory design: Involving end users or user representatives in the design from the early phases. A useful means for understanding users is to interview and observe them while at work in their normal work environment. Usability tests help to ground an application on users needs after various iterations of design and development.

A functional decomposition for user interfaces