UI Design Fundamentals

Uday Gajendar
Principal Product Designer
Citrix | Santa Clara




SVCC / 10.6.12
My#5th#time#speaking.
A#lot’s#changed#since#2007.
RIA.%Flash.%Ajax.%iPhone.
 Android.%Flat%widescreen%displays.%
Hi:res%Retina%displays.%CSS%+%HTML%5.%
 Responsive%design.%JS%frameworks.%
 Social.%Mobile.%Local.%Cloud.%Video.
But#some#things#
 are#the#same...
Is#it#really#2012?#
       sigh...
“ The$public$is$more$familiar$with$bad$design$than$
  good$design.$It$is,$in$effect,$conditioned$to$prefer$
  bad$design,$because$that$is$what$it$lives$with.$The$
  new$becomes$threatening,$the$old$reassuring.
                                                       ”
                                Paul%Rand,%graphic%designer
Complexity                     lack of careful diligence
                          &
extraneous redundancy         Craftsmanship
       Too many fonts         Too many icons
       Too many colors        No hierarchy
       Too many lines         Everything emphasized
       Overdone effects       No useful groupings
Every button, icon, text, tab, menu item is another visual &
cognitive signal that a user must process & learn, thus
increasing complexity and error! Even for a split second.
Dialogues (not dialogs)
Start with target audience
Consider diverse contexts
Apply OS guidelines
YMMV
clear, effective

Patterns
                   & Principles
                       potent, useful
Patterns
A pattern describes an optimal solution to a common
problem within a specific context.
!
Ta ke
                                                         note!
             Patterns#books#to#keep#nearby!




Bill#Scott           Jenifer#Tidwell          Erin#Malone
Principles
A principles provides a governing basis for decision-
making and foundation for evolution.


Principles are your lighthouse for guidance when lost.
Citrix Product Design 5 Principles
Dieter Rams’ “Good Design Principles”
Windows Metro Principles
Make#it#direct
 Keep#it#lightweight
  Stay#on#the#page
Provide#an#invitation
  Use#transitions
 React#immediately


            from%Bill%Scott,%PayPal
But#what#about#
that#damn#UI?
Do’s#&#Don’ts
ake
Do’s#&#Don’ts                                     T
                                                   note!

Don’t clutter the screen with noise
Don’t use every font or color in the palette
Don’t fill every inch of the screen with “stuff”
Don’t be verbose and redundant
Don’t have slow irritating performance
Don’t leave users hanging with no exit
Don’t be painful and frustrating
ake
Do’s#&#Don’ts                                              T
                                                            note!

Do leverage a good metaphor
Do use well-defined, clean grid layouts
Do use fonts sparingly (No more than 3+)
Do apply color judiciously    (No more than 5+)

Do use clear, concise language        (Read vs scan)


Do use icons purposefully     (Do you really need them?)


Do create clear behaviors with feedback
Grids / Layouts / Structure
A#wellSdesigned#UI#must#be#grounded#in#strong#layouts#
with#a#grid.#Grids#provide#order,#regularity,#rhythm,#and#
control.#Knowing#how#to#work#with#grids#is#a#vital#
interface#design#skill,#which#takes#years#to#master.#




            Structure • Alignment • Spacing
Grids: where to start?
CSS#Grid#Frameworks#like#960.gs,#Blueprint,#The#Golden#Grid
Flexible,#responsive#grid#designs:#scalability,#xSdevice#use
Typography
Type#is#about#tone#of#voice,#readability,#legibility.#Diligently#
crafted#type#is#paramount#for#effective#communication.




               Leading    •   Kerning   • Tracking
Typography
Most#design#problems#are#simply#type#issues.#As#a#good#
rule,#start#your#design#with#three%fonts,#where#a#font#is#
any#variation#of#the#typeface,#size,#weight,#style,#color,#etc.

Most design problems are simply type
issues. As a good rule, start your design
with three fonts, where a font is any
variation of the typeface, size, weight,
style, color, etc.

Most design problems are simply type issues. As a good rule,
start your design with three fonts, where a font is any
variation of the typeface, size, weight, style, color, etc.
Color
Color#follows#the#same#constraints#as#type,#with#the#
exception#that#color#gets#to#the#core#emotional#impact#
of#the#product#in#a#more#direct,#visceral#way#that#type#
does#not.#While#type#speaks,#color#punctuates.#
Color: where to start
Pick#a#color#palette#of#just#a#few#core#colors:#
1#base,#3#complements,#1#highlight,#and#black#/#white
Use#the#color#system#to#solve#functional#issues#_irst,#
then#add#expressive,#emotive,#brand#qualities.
Icons / Imagery
Icons#are#visual#indicators#of#status,#functionality,#or#
branding.#They#should#complement#the#main#content,#
and#not#contribute#to#UI#clutter#or#noise.#Just#like#type#
and#color,#should#be#used#judiciously.




             Before8you8insert8an8icon,8always8ask8WHY.8
Language
Many#design#problems#are#simply#issues#of#poor%
terminology:#button#labels,#menu#items,#feature#
names,#etc.#Generally#speaking,#product#language#
should#be#no#more#complicated#than#everyday#
conversation.#Ask#your#target#audience.#
Behavior
A#digital#product#is#used#to#do#something.#
Interactive#behavior,#and#speci_ically,#the#ability#to#
directly%manipulate%data#with#an#input#device#as#
an#intuitive,#seamless#extension#of#the#user’s#hand/
mind,#are#critical#in#that#regard.




Affordances,#motion,#feedback#are#key.
Matrix of Interesting Moments
from#Bill#Scott,#PayPal




        Prototype#behaviors#iteratively#&#obsessively.
Coherence
Total Balance                                                    ke
                                                              Ta
In#the#end,#a#carefully#balanced#consideration#of#these#       note!
will#result#in#a#rewarding,#effective#UI#people#enjoy.



      Layout          Type          Color          Icons



      Metaphor       Pa4erns       Behavior      Principles



           Coherence • Choreography      • Integrity
“The key to good design is not Metro or any other
language or principle. The key to good design is to be
      able to execute good design judgment.”

                         Erik Stolterman, HCI Professor,
                         Indiana University
References                                      ke
                                             Ta
Designing#Visual#Interfaces#by#Mullet/Sano    note!
Designing#Web#Interfaces#by#Bill#Scott
Envisioning#Information#by#Edward#Tufte#
Designing#Interfaces#by#Jenifer#Tidwell
Contact info

Uday%Gajendar

email udanium@gmail.com
twitter% @udanium


web www.udanium.com
blog www.ghostinthepixel.com
linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/udanium

Svcc12 designfundamentals