Chapter 1 - Introduction

Abstract

This is an introductory chapter about web applications. It provides practical user interface design guidance for developing web applications by offering a usable “working” starting point that designers can adapt and refine to develop creative solutions. Software applications are built using web technologies and made accessible via web browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera). They are commonly referred to as web applications, or hosted applications—applications based on a software as a service (SaaS) model or cloud computing. The web applications are different from more traditional web sites in that their emphasis is on allowing users to accomplish tasks such as send email, make travel reservations, find homes, pay bills, transfer money, buy products, send invitations, and so. Web sites, on the other hand, are content oriented and are designed to facilitate browsing and consumption of rather static information. Because both the application and information are stored on servers of the application's providers and not on users' computers, users can access web applications from almost anywhere, as long as the computer they use has a web browser and Internet connectivity. Web applications are also popular with businesses and software developers because they can be developed, updated, and maintained remotely without requiring users to install (or reinstall) them.