User Interface Design: Lecture Notes Review

Flashcards on the lecture notes User Interface Design.

What are the three fundamental parts of the User Interface?

The Navigation Mechanism, the Input Mechanism, and the Output Mechanism.

What is the focus of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?

Improving the interactions between users and computers by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs.

What are the three main components used in interface design?

Navigation, Input, and Output components.

Why is consistency important in interface design?

It enables users to predict what will happen before they perform a function, aiding in ease of learning and use.

What is the goal regarding user effort in interface design?

The interface should be simple to use, ideally requiring no more than three mouse clicks from the starting menu to perform work.

What is a use scenario in the context of user interface design?

An outline of the steps that users perform to accomplish a specific part of their work.

What is the purpose of an interface structure diagram (ISD)?

To show how all the screens, forms, and reports used by the system are related and how the user moves between them.

What is an interface metaphor?

A concept from the real world used as a model for the computer system to help users understand and predict features.

What does an interface template define?

The general appearance of all screens in the information system, as well as paper-based forms and reports.

What is the purpose of interface icons?

To represent interface objects, actions, and their status on command buttons, reports, and forms to highlight important information.

What is an interface design prototype?

A mock-up or simulation of a computer screen, form, or report.

What are the three common approaches to interface design prototyping?

Storyboards, HTML prototypes, and Language prototypes.

What is the advantage of an HTML prototype over a storyboard?

HTML prototypes allow users to interact with the system and gain a better sense of navigation.

What is the objective of interface evaluation?

To understand how to improve the interface design.

What is the first principle of designing navigation controls?

To prevent the user from making mistakes.

What are the three basic software approaches for defining user commands?

Languages, Menus, and Direct Manipulation.

What are messages in the context of user interface?

The way in which the system responds to a user and informs them of the status of the interaction.

What is the goal of input design?

To capture accurate information for the system simply and easily.

What is the most important principle of input design?

To capture data in an electronic format at the original source or as close to it as possible.

What is the goal of the output mechanism?

To present information to users so that they can accurately understand it with the least effort.