An interface is the point of communication between user and system, allowing for input to the system and feedback to the user.
18
votes
8answers
564 views
Users don't read (or even see) things. How can I deliver important clues?
I am building a website. Some pages contain instructions (a few simple sentences, nothing intimidating) and have fairly standard controls (drop-downs etc).
There's not a lot on any one page. The ...
13
votes
6answers
476 views
Should I combine these 2 mutually exclusive actions?
I have an interface for managing multiple email addresses associated to an account in my web application. This interface is to be used by an administrator.
The interface shows a list of email ...
10
votes
4answers
301 views
Another phrasing for the term “Directions” in this case?
Below is a short browser based linux simulator for training purposes. It basically starts off with a blank screen, and gives directions for the user to enter a linux command to do a given task. If the ...
9
votes
8answers
1k views
What fonts are good and which ones should we avoid for our application's UI?
What do you advise when it comes to selecting fonts for your User Interface?
9
votes
2answers
136 views
Making a signature field look like a physical signature box
I am making an app that involves a four-day schedule and a "signature" that certifies you are going to abide by the terms of the schedule. I would like to make the signature field look like a ...
8
votes
7answers
535 views
Conveying progress for a set of items each with 2 stages
I think I have an issue with the hierarchy of information in trying to convey progress to a user. On the dashboard of a non-profit dashboard I have the following option:
The organisation deal with ...
8
votes
3answers
250 views
Are there any special design guidelines for big touch screens (30–50 inch)?
I'm about to develop an application for a large touch screen (around 40″).
Now to my question, are there any special design guidelines for such a large screen? I have read Android/iOS/Windows RT ...
8
votes
3answers
197 views
How to go about presenting a large family tree?
I'm currently developing a game, and one of the features involves breeding the creatures you collect.
Since it's a game, a large amount of promiscuity is to be expected, and individuals could ...
7
votes
5answers
300 views
What would be the best way to fill “space” in an User Interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
What would be the best way to fill "space" in user interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
Conditions:
The row are subjected to hold maximum 3 images only.
Float left
If the total width of the ...
7
votes
4answers
193 views
Where to place controls on a tree/list
I have a chronological list of items. The user can operate on these items with three actions.
So each row has three actions (or buttons for example).
My dilemma is thus:
Having three buttons on ...
7
votes
3answers
153 views
“Activate” / “Enable” + “noun verbing” or simply “Verb noun”?
A popular chatting application has the global option "Enable buddy icon animation". Would this be better phrased as "Animate buddy icon" or not? And if so, is this a general rule? For example, ...
7
votes
1answer
235 views
user interface for multiple selection filter?
I have a user interface where there is a field with multiple options. There are a great many options so I'm using a type-ahead filter to assist discovery and selection.
Is there any another good way ...
6
votes
5answers
195 views
Sorting tables after multiple columns
I want to add a sorting functionality to a table.
It should be able to be sorted after multiple columns.
A standard approach is something like this:
download bmml source – Wireframes ...
6
votes
2answers
217 views
UI simplicity vs complex requirements
I'm in the process of crafting a relatively complicated interface for a niche social networking website and I'm struggling to achieve a satisfying level of simplicity for the UI.
Given that "modern" ...
6
votes
2answers
74 views
Should the “Help” menu really be called Help?
Most of todays applications have a menu called Help as the last element in the menu bar. But many applications are using the Help menu as a general container for anything that does not fit into other ...
6
votes
1answer
129 views
Drop down list vs. clickable map
I'm working on a web tool that requires users to choose their region as a search filter. I'm trying to decide if it will be best to use a drop-down list (there will be 15 regions) or a clickable map ...
6
votes
3answers
270 views
How should I resolve the issue of smaller tappable area due to smaller buttons on iPad mini?
Now that iPad mini has been released, is there anything an UI designer needs to look out for? I understand that the resolution and screen ratio remains the same, and I've been hearing that no change ...
6
votes
3answers
190 views
Are there names for patterns within UI styles?
Are there names or guides to classify similarities or reoccurring style patterns within UI? For example, Retro, Legal, etc.
Example of UI patterns used in login forms:
Indented outlines
...
5
votes
4answers
183 views
When to use reversed/mirror arrow cursor?
Is there an established pattern for when to use a reversed (right-pointing) arrow? I most frequently notice it in Outlook on part--but not all--of messages in my inbox:
My Google-fu failed at finding ...
5
votes
2answers
139 views
User Experience for Image crop/resize/position
I'm a programmer first, so I'm not very good at these sort of things -- I've been building myself a image resizer/cropper/positioner for my own html pages ... however, most tools I've used that are ...
5
votes
3answers
132 views
Translating a UI from English to a language with different constructs
I am trying to translate an application with an English UI into Hindi.
The menu items such as Edit in English can be interpreted as either nouns or verbs, which doesn't seem to matter as much. While ...
5
votes
1answer
131 views
Transferring user context between multiple applications
I am currently maintaining an old legacy thick-client application with many individual screens and functions.
We have a strategy for migrating screens from the old technology (VB6) to a newer ...
4
votes
5answers
167 views
How can the mode of a car's transmission be made more clear?
In a car, if you press the accelerator it can do one of three things:
make the car go forward.
make the car go backward.
not move the car at all.
The result depends on what gear the car is in, but ...
4
votes
3answers
159 views
What is this design layout interface called?
I have a general questions on the definition of a flow of highlighted images defining where you are in a web application flow.
I want to buy some template online but I dont know what this UX ...
4
votes
2answers
129 views
What's the best way to navigate from between two screens in an App?
What's the best way to navigate from between two screens in an App?
I'm writing an app which essentially consists of 2 screens of content, each displaying different type of news. I'm having a really ...
4
votes
3answers
55 views
How do you show that a feature can be selected individually or combined with another feature?
The user has 3 options/features to choose from, but here is the problem:
Each feature can be selected separately/on its own.
Feature A can be selected/combined with feature B.
Feature B can be ...
4
votes
7answers
183 views
Non-standard symbols indicates special function
Everyone most web users understand that the asterisk (*) indicates that the fields on a form are required. But what about non-standard symbols?
Our UX team is currently working with an application ...
4
votes
1answer
79 views
How to study competitive/equivalent interfaces efficiently?
Before starting designing a new interface, I usually study equivalent/competitive UIs to come up with some ideas in terms of functionalities and layout.
I would like to conduct this kind of study in ...
4
votes
3answers
86 views
Improve display of date range inside a table
I have been taking a look at this post, but it is not exactly what I am looking for, plus I have hour and minutes and is inside a table.
My current table is this one (bigger image):
The problem I ...
4
votes
2answers
141 views
Improving a 'page layout' editor's user interface
Below you can see a screenshot of a web-based page layout editor.
It is basically a drag and drop WYSIWYG editor for interactive apps, and allows the user to use a page backdrop and add a "layer" of ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
How best to display multiple choices for multiple fields?
I have a tricky one. I need to let an IT administrator set the value for each field and assign that combination of values to an entity. (The following image shows a simplified example, where fields ...
4
votes
1answer
208 views
Fitts' law and minimum target size
You can read everywhere that bigger targets are easier to hit. But say I have a given input modality and want to know the minimum button size for the interface. How would I go about that?
Fitts' law ...
3
votes
3answers
238 views
Rationale behind not having infinite undo [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Undo History - Why limit it?
First off, this seemed like the best spot as Undo is a de facto user interface requirement for any editing program.
For school we use ...
3
votes
2answers
129 views
Is there a better way to provide a main menu in iPhone than the tiled icons?
I'm creating a locator app as a project for one of my classes. The main menu of the app lists different categories of items for the app to locate and show the user via a map.
Right now, I have about ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
Difference between UI and Visual Design/Style Guide?
From looking at some of the style guide for web applications that are available, there is a distinction made between the visual (icons, colours, logos, etc) and UI (look and feel of user interface ...
3
votes
3answers
83 views
Is there a standard way to indicate a suggestive search (autocomplete) in a wireframe form?
I'm designing an interface, and I'm currently creating a wireframe to guide me before developing it. I know that a particular form will make suggestions, but if I were to, say, get another developer ...
3
votes
2answers
95 views
UI patterns for data composition
More specifically, I would like to create an interface which
Takes input from one or multiple sources.
Makes it possible to process on these inputs
Provides a way to capture the output.
One way I ...
3
votes
2answers
86 views
Best practice for switch with interchangeable on/off position?
We're making a hardware device with a reset button that needs to be activated when the device is unpowered.
As such, the button can not be a momentary press but needs to change position before being ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
Multiple admin sections (scopes) inside one web application
Im developing web application with quite complex configuration UI.
It contains multiple configuration scopes, for example in global scope you can configure host setting, logging and also create ...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
Measuring Keystroke Against Click Count
Currently working on bettering our internal tool/ticketing system's UI. We have several products - broken up by category, of course. Each product has an email template that a technician will wend in ...
2
votes
2answers
81 views
Does a text editor on a dark interface need to use a black page?
I'm doing a dark interface for a program that includes a text editor. While the program uses different shades of dark grey and blue, my main "page" is currently white. This is positive because:
The ...
2
votes
3answers
111 views
Correct terminology for observing interface
What's the correct terminology when the user is observing an interface and only acquiring data visually. And in opposite, when the user actively interacts with the interface?
I thought it would be ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
How to deal with recursive hierarchical tableviews?
There's a great function from the web that I want to reproduce in iOS and Android. I'm calling it a recursive tableview because I can't think of any other descriptive name.
For example, in a shopping ...
2
votes
2answers
65 views
Clarifying the controls in “draft” mode
We have an application where pages are created/viewed. There is two modes for users of the application: live and draft. When the application is in draft mode, you can edit multiple changes and then ...
2
votes
3answers
170 views
Managing time sensitive pop-ups that require a user action
I have a lead follow up management tool with a feature where the leads are prioritised according to the nearest time for follow-up.
So for example....
lead A follow up call is scheduled for 3 hours ...
2
votes
1answer
278 views
What UI design pattern for choice between 2 actions comes to your mind?
My goal: find optimal UX/UI pattern.
Pattern's goal: give a user choice between two actions.
Simple example:
http://dribbble.com/shots/599154-Choose-Your-Option
Here is UX/UI pattern I implemented ...
2
votes
2answers
170 views
How to simplify an interface for assignment of objects?
We're trying to solve a UX problem of assigning one set of objects to another (very large) set of objects in a quick, clean, and lightweight manner.
We have up to 12 different items that need to be ...
1
vote
4answers
143 views
when is too much playfullness in interface / experience too much?
I think most of us know when an experience is too playful, but I'm talking about subtle interactions to delight the user.
I think it is too much when it prevents or postpones the user from reaching ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
How would you improve this search results interface? [closed]
I've been doing some research in successful UIs for search results and as a personal project I am trying to build one that is simple, yet elegant.
That has great interactions and a great experience.
...
1
vote
3answers
90 views
User interface for either/or text input [duplicate]
I have an either/or scenario for text input which I'd like to mock up as shown below. Any ideas how I can proceed with html/css (this should be responsive).
Edit :
Sorry for being unclear. Not sure ...
