User interface design for the engineer

Abstract

The user interface is an increasingly important aspect of a product that is often at least as important as the functionality in determining its success. This paper discusses how user interface design is typically incorporated into the design and of a software product and motivates why it is important that engineers and other members of the development team, not just user interface specialists, be familiar with the important concepts of user interface design. This familiarity is necessary so that all members of the team appreciate the need for good user interface design and ensure it is integrated into the product. From this point of view, the paper discusses approaches using GUIs and other techniques for effective user interface design and how they might be incorporated into an engineer's training. A key component of our approach is hands-on experience by participants to put the concepts into practice in small- to medium-size team projects where engineers develop their own project and also critique each others project. Critiques are then used to iteratively improve the design. These projects crystallize the user interface design process and help the engineer gain an appreciation for its importance. Engineers can take this experience back to the workplace and be more receptive to user interface concerns leading to a better product. >