5 - Graphic Design and Layout Bloopers

Abstract

The graphic design and layout bloopers occur due to the negligence of the basic principle that should guide graphic design and layout decisions in graphical user interfaces. Also, most software developers haven't yet learned to develop and follow strict standards for layout and graphic design and to pay as much attention to detail as traditional publishers and media studios do. This chapter discusses how to spot these bloopers and how to avoid them once it is known what to look for. Most of the common graphic design and layout bloopers concern the layout of information and controls on windows, forms, and Web pages and the placement of windows on the display. Easily missed information, mixing dialog box control buttons with content control buttons, misusing group boxes, radio buttons too far apart, labels too far from data fields, and inconsistent label alignment are some of the bloopers that are discussed in this chapter. Graphic design and layout bloopers definitely diminish software's perceived quality. It only takes a few to make a product look amateurish and untrustworthy. Poor graphic design and layout can also decrease users' ability and motivation to absorb whatever information or content the software offers.