User Interface

Design and
Usability
What is User Interface?

UI (User interface) Design is the

interface of the website or a
digital product through which a
user interacts. The main goal of UI
is to catch and grab user attention
by making the user interface look
more pleasing and aesthetic.
Importance of UI Design
UI design is crucial for the success of a website or digital product for several reasons:

• User Experience: A well designed UI can make customers to navigate easily and complete
their tasks which leads to positive user experience.

• Engagement: A good UI can make users stay on the platform or make them visit more
often.

• Branding: UI communicates the product’s personality and features to the users, so visually
appealing UI can make brands recognizable by the users.

• Efficiency: A well designed UI can reduce time and efforts which increases user efficiency
which leads to user satisfaction.
Principles of UI Design
UI design is driven by several key principles that guide its effectiveness:

•Simplicity: The design should be simple and not overloaded with unnecessary elements.

•Consistency: Maintain uniformity across all screens to enhance user understanding and expectations (e.g.,
color schemes, fonts, layout patterns).

•Feedback: The system should provide feedback for user actions, indicating successes or errors (e.g., a
loading spinner, confirmation messages).

•Visibility: The most important information should be easily accessible and visible to users.

•Error Prevention: The design should help users avoid mistakes, such as providing clear instructions or
confirmations before irreversible actions.

•Flexibility: The interface should cater to users with different levels of experience (novices vs. experts),
offering shortcuts for experienced users.
Tools for UI Design
• Sketch: Vector-based design tool for creating wireframes and prototypes.
• Figma: A web-based design tool for collaboration and prototyping.
• Adobe XD: A versatile tool for UI/UX design and prototyping.
• InVision: A design tool that allows for creating interactive prototypes and
gathering feedback.
Usability Testing Techniques
1. Moderated Usability Testing
A facilitator (moderator) guides users through specific tasks, observing their
behavior and asking questions to understand their thought process. .

2. Unmoderated (Remote) Usability Testing

In unmoderated testing, users complete tasks on their own without a facilitator.
These sessions are usually conducted remotely using specialized testing platforms
that record user interactions and gather feedback.

3. Guerrilla Usability Testing

This is an informal method of usability testing where users are randomly selected
and asked to perform simple tasks. It is often done in public places, such as cafes
or libraries, with participants offering quick feedback.
Usability Testing Techniques
4. A/B Testing
Involves comparing two versions of a design (Version A and Version B) to see which
performs better in terms of user engagement, task completion, or other metrics.

5. Eye Tracking
Involves using specialized equipment to track where users look on a screen, what
they focus on, and how long they spend looking at specific elements.

6. First Click Testing

Is used to assess whether users are navigating an interface correctly from their first
interaction.
7. Card Sorting
A method used to test and improve the information architecture of a product. Participants are
given cards representing different sections or features and asked to group them into categories
that make sense to them.

8. Heuristic Evaluation
Experts review a product or interface against a set of established usability principles (heuristics).
It’s a quick way to identify common usability issues before conducting user testing.

9. Contextual Inquiry
Involves observing users in their natural environment while they interact with a product or system.
It provides real-world insights into how users use a product in their daily routine.

10. Think-Aloud Testing

Users are asked to speak their thoughts out loud as they perform tasks. This allows the observer
to gain insights into the user’s thought process and understand their decision-making.
Human Computer Interaction
• A multidisciplinary field that focuses on the design, evaluation, and
implementation of interactive systems for human use.
• It studies how people interact with computers and other digital
devices and aims to improve these interactions to make them more
user-friendly, efficient, and effective.
• HCI combines principles from computer science, psychology,
design, ergonomics, and cognitive science.
Key Area of Human Computer Interaction
1. User Interface (UI) Design:
o This involves the creation of graphical and physical interfaces that people
use to interact with technology.
2. User Experience (UX):
o UI design and focuses on the overall experience a user has with a system.
This includes emotional responses, perceptions, usability, and how
enjoyable and satisfying the interaction is.
3. Interaction Design (IxD):
o Is concerned with designing meaningful and engaging interactions
between users and systems, which includes how users perform tasks and
how systems respond.
Key Area of Human Computer Interaction
4. Cognitive Ergonomics:
o This area looks at how users' mental processes, like memory, perception, and
reasoning, influence how they interact with technology.
5. Accessibility:
o Accessibility ensures that technology is usable by people with a wide range of
abilities, including those with disabilities.
6. Social Computing:
o Social computing focuses on how people use technology to interact and
communicate in social contexts, like on social media, collaborative platforms, and
online communities.
7. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR):
o These technologies introduce immersive environments, requiring HCI to develop
new interaction paradigms like gestures, spatial navigation, and multimodal
interaction to enhance user experiences.
Design Principle of Human Computer Interaction
• Consistency : Interfaces should behave in a consistent way, so users can easily predict the
outcome of their actions.
• Feedback : Systems should provide users with immediate feedback on their actions, such as
confirmation messages or visual cues, to show that the system is responding correctly.
• Affordance: are design elements that suggest how they can be used (e.g., a button looks
clickable). This helps users understand how to interact with the system.
• Error Prevention and Recovery : Systems should be designed to prevent user errors where
possible, but when errors occur, users should be able to recover easily (e.g., through undo
functions or clear error messages).
• Simplicity : The design should be as simple as possible, showing only necessary elements and
reducing cognitive load. Overly complex systems can overwhelm users.
• Visibility: Key features and actions should be visible and accessible, helping users navigate the
system without unnecessary searching or confusion.
Design Principle of Human Computer Interaction
• Consistency : Interfaces should behave in a consistent way, so users can easily predict the
outcome of their actions.
• Feedback : Systems should provide users with immediate feedback on their actions, such as
confirmation messages or visual cues, to show that the system is responding correctly.
• Affordance: are design elements that suggest how they can be used (e.g., a button looks
clickable). This helps users understand how to interact with the system.
• Error Prevention and Recovery : Systems should be designed to prevent user errors where
possible, but when errors occur, users should be able to recover easily (e.g., through undo
functions or clear error messages).
• Simplicity : The design should be as simple as possible, showing only necessary elements and
reducing cognitive load. Overly complex systems can overwhelm users.
• Visibility: Key features and actions should be visible and accessible, helping users navigate the
system without unnecessary searching or confusion.
Response Design
• refers to the process of creating user interactions and
feedback mechanisms within a user interface.

• it involves ensuring that users receive appropriate and

informative responses from the system when they perform
actions, such as submitting forms, navigating through a
website, or interacting with applications.

• good response design enhances user experience by

making interactions clear, efficient, and satisfying.
Best Practices in Response Design
Keep It Simple:
o Avoid jargon or technical language in feedback messages. Use clear, straightforward
language to communicate effectively with users.
Be Timely:
o Provide feedback as soon as possible. Delayed responses can lead to user confusion and
frustration, especially if users are unsure whether their action was registered.
Use Appropriate Channels:
o Different types of feedback may require different channels (e.g., visual alerts, sound
notifications, or haptic feedback on mobile devices).
Prioritize Information:
o For multiple messages (e.g., success and errors), prioritize the most important information
to avoid overwhelming users with too much feedback at once.
Test with Users:
o Conduct usability testing to gather feedback on response designs. Observe how users
interact with the feedback mechanisms to identify areas for improvement.
Example of Response Design
Form Submission:
o After submitting a form, provide a message like "Thank you for your submission! We'll get back to
you shortly." If there's an error, specify which field needs correction, e.g., "Please enter a valid email
address."
E-commerce Checkout:
o During the checkout process, show a progress indicator (e.g., “Step 1 of 3: Shipping Information”).
After completion, confirm the order with a summary and expected delivery date.
Error Alerts:
o If a user attempts to access a restricted area, display a clear message: “Access Denied: You do not
have permission to view this page.”
Loading States:
o Use a spinner or progress bar when loading content. Messages like “Loading your dashboard…” keep
users informed about what to expect.
Undo Options:
o After a critical action, like deleting a file, provide an “Undo” option for a limited time. Display a
message like “Item deleted. Undo?” with a button to revert the action.
Do you have further
questions and
clarifications?
References

https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/vocational/cca/cca1.pdf
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/index.htm
https://hamrocsit.com/semester/fifth/sad/
Systems Analysis and Design, 5th Edition
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/index.htm