Designing a Great UI


     Fred Spencer
§  Started designing and building UI
                     for bulletin board systems in ‘92

                   §  Digital Media Instructor, RISD

About me             Continuing Education

                   §  Titanium Mobile Core
                     Contributor
Twitter @anovice
                   §  Lead architect, motion designer,
                     and co-developer, Late Night
                     with Jimmy Fallon

                   §  Lead architect, motion designer,
                     and developer, NBC iPad
Clockwork Orange © Warner Bros.




Kubrick & Miyazaki
Design is in the details
Details are both what you introduce
     and what you take away.
Don’t swim in the
   Sea of Details.



 Don’t wade in the
River of Overdesign.
Photo by ThinkGeek
WHaT IS UI?
UX !== UI
Ultimately, UX is about building products
   that people want and love to use.



   UI design is how we support that
 awesome experience, by providing a
  bridge between user interaction and
           completing tasks.
UX is driven by how we solve problems.

      UI is our implementation.
HOW QUICK IS zero to a-Ha?
§  As quickly as possible…

                §  Communicate and reinforce
Zero to A-Ha?     context with very little…

                §  Can that feature be reduced

                  or removed, entirely?

                §  Reduce functional

                  complexity…
The Elevator Button Problem
Modern hardware and the iOS
platform have enabled developers,
   raising user awareness and
         expectations.
BE Inspired
Dribbble, Cargo Collective,
    and the restroom.
PRINCIPLES aND PROCESS
§  Identify apps that you,
                    colleagues, friends, family
                    and complete strangers
Getting started     love and hate…

                  §  What makes them special?

                     §  Color scheme,
                       Navigation, Feature
                       Implementation, etc…


                  Research      Plan      Initiate
Audiences will rant and rave
      no matter what.


These are opportunities to
       iterate, but…
§  Use grids to assist in creating
              compositional harmony…

            §  Build your interaction zones
What you
              to be as large as possible…
should do
            §  Always view comps on device
              and show it to others…

            §  Use branding to inspire,
              influence, and reinforce…

            §  Don’t forget about contrast

            §  Take breaks…
Whiteboard. Flowchart.
Wireframe. Prototype. Do it.
Connect
Motion leads the eye.
Providing movement between
contexts and requests gives the
user an opportunity to process
       their interaction.



We call it “intuitive learning”…
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (iPhone / Android)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (iPhone / Android)
§  Keep animation style consistent
              to specific components...

            §  Animate color when immediate
What you      attention is needed...
should do   §  Keep parallel animation to a
              minimum...

            §  Move UI into view from off
              ‘stage’, fade-in or zoom...

            §  Keep it short. 250 – 500
              milliseconds...

            §  Or…
…don’t follow guidelines,
  experiment and get feedback.



Motion design is also about voice,
  individuality and expression.
Sound?
§  Reinforces memory through
                interaction..

              §  Is it essential to the experience?
Using sound      §  Sound may be muted or
                    difficult to hear…

                 §  Provide setting to disable
                    sounds…

              §  Use the right audio session…

              §  Preload to avoid an awkward
                delay…
•  Heavily influenced by
              product requirements…
Common PS   •  Most Common
Patterns
              •  Module/Revealing
                Module, Factory

            •  Upcoming

              •  CommonJS ‘require’
                modules
RESOURCES
§  boxesandarrows.com

         §  alistapart.com/topics/
           userscience
Absorb   §  sixrevisions.com
         §  thinkvitamin.com

         §  www.uxmag.com
§  dribbble.com

          §  colourlovers.com

          §  lovedsgn.com
Inspire   §  behance.net
§  Code (ignore DOM)
           §  codecademy.com

           §  learn.appendto.com

Learn   §  Design
           §  lynda.com

           §  psd.tutsplus.com
§  Teehan+Lax
         §  bit.ly/iphone-ui-elements

         §  bit.ly/android-ui-elements

         §  bit.ly/iphone-sketch-elements
Use
      §  http://twitter.github.com/
        bootstrap/

      §  https://github.com/280north/
        aristo/
§  glyphish.com

      §  findicons.com

      §  www.zambetti.com/projects/
Use     liveview

      §  appcooker.com

      §  balsamiq.com

Fred Spencer: Designing a Great UI

  • 1.
    Designing a GreatUI Fred Spencer
  • 2.
    §  Started designingand building UI for bulletin board systems in ‘92 §  Digital Media Instructor, RISD About me Continuing Education §  Titanium Mobile Core Contributor Twitter @anovice §  Lead architect, motion designer, and co-developer, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon §  Lead architect, motion designer, and developer, NBC iPad
  • 3.
    Clockwork Orange ©Warner Bros. Kubrick & Miyazaki
  • 4.
    Design is inthe details
  • 5.
    Details are bothwhat you introduce and what you take away.
  • 7.
    Don’t swim inthe Sea of Details. Don’t wade in the River of Overdesign.
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Ultimately, UX isabout building products that people want and love to use. UI design is how we support that awesome experience, by providing a bridge between user interaction and completing tasks.
  • 12.
    UX is drivenby how we solve problems. UI is our implementation.
  • 13.
    HOW QUICK ISzero to a-Ha?
  • 14.
    §  As quicklyas possible… §  Communicate and reinforce Zero to A-Ha? context with very little… §  Can that feature be reduced or removed, entirely? §  Reduce functional complexity…
  • 15.
  • 17.
    Modern hardware andthe iOS platform have enabled developers, raising user awareness and expectations.
  • 18.
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    §  Identify appsthat you, colleagues, friends, family and complete strangers Getting started love and hate… §  What makes them special? §  Color scheme, Navigation, Feature Implementation, etc… Research Plan Initiate
  • 23.
    Audiences will rantand rave no matter what. These are opportunities to iterate, but…
  • 24.
    §  Use gridsto assist in creating compositional harmony… §  Build your interaction zones What you to be as large as possible… should do §  Always view comps on device and show it to others… §  Use branding to inspire, influence, and reinforce… §  Don’t forget about contrast §  Take breaks…
  • 25.
  • 26.
  • 28.
  • 29.
    Providing movement between contextsand requests gives the user an opportunity to process their interaction. We call it “intuitive learning”…
  • 30.
    Late Night withJimmy Fallon (iPhone / Android)
  • 31.
    Late Night withJimmy Fallon (iPhone / Android)
  • 32.
    §  Keep animationstyle consistent to specific components... §  Animate color when immediate What you attention is needed... should do §  Keep parallel animation to a minimum... §  Move UI into view from off ‘stage’, fade-in or zoom... §  Keep it short. 250 – 500 milliseconds... §  Or…
  • 33.
    …don’t follow guidelines, experiment and get feedback. Motion design is also about voice, individuality and expression.
  • 34.
  • 35.
    §  Reinforces memorythrough interaction.. §  Is it essential to the experience? Using sound §  Sound may be muted or difficult to hear… §  Provide setting to disable sounds… §  Use the right audio session… §  Preload to avoid an awkward delay…
  • 36.
    •  Heavily influencedby product requirements… Common PS •  Most Common Patterns •  Module/Revealing Module, Factory •  Upcoming •  CommonJS ‘require’ modules
  • 38.
  • 39.
    §  boxesandarrows.com §  alistapart.com/topics/ userscience Absorb §  sixrevisions.com §  thinkvitamin.com §  www.uxmag.com
  • 40.
    §  dribbble.com §  colourlovers.com §  lovedsgn.com Inspire §  behance.net
  • 41.
    §  Code (ignoreDOM) §  codecademy.com §  learn.appendto.com Learn §  Design §  lynda.com §  psd.tutsplus.com
  • 42.
    §  Teehan+Lax §  bit.ly/iphone-ui-elements §  bit.ly/android-ui-elements §  bit.ly/iphone-sketch-elements Use §  http://twitter.github.com/ bootstrap/ §  https://github.com/280north/ aristo/
  • 43.
    §  glyphish.com §  findicons.com §  www.zambetti.com/projects/ Use liveview §  appcooker.com §  balsamiq.com