Rampant CodeCraft

Slashdot: Software, Tools, Or Techniques For UI Review?

Didn't think I'd see something like this on /. but it is something that we struggle with. Not just good UI design, but somehow bringing UI design, review and refinement into the processes we have.

The company I work for is like a swiss watch company. We are not focused on how the watch looks, only with how accurate the time will be.

Now when you shell out the $200 000 for our watch, you will need to be familiar with the user manual and maybe go to a class or two before you can read the time on the watch, but after 25 years that watch will still have the right time. Seems an extreme example, but in our market the norm is 'unusable' software. Off the shelf focuses on usability because that resells software. We sell service. Our app is sold before the client realizes that the thing will be brutally difficult to operate. We make no investment in resale because custom apps are one-offs, they often CAN'T be resold.

If we provide quality that is an 80/20 mix of kept/sacrificed then the entire 20% of sacrificed quality is in UI design. The outside interface is a reflection of the inside mechanics and that is the extent to which usage is calculated.

For me its knowing what looks good first, then reduction to elegance for usability. I can look at a screen or comp and see that things are out of balance. I recognize when the first thing I'm drawn to in the app is not the most important thing, or is not the beginning of the visual instruction. When the user must extract usage flow paths and usage rules out of the mess of fields on the screen. I don't always know how to fix it, but I can see the problem. Are all my designs best of breed? No, I sometimes get lost in the weeds.

I've studied UI design because I knew its a critical part of selling software as well as software acceptance and general user satisfaction, but found all the education to maybe assist in correcting abstract problems found, but not how to spot things in the first place. They, like all others relied mostly on you having a good eye to start with. Nothing concrete.

Detection is the first step. Can't fix it if you don't know THAT it is broken, much less WHAT is broken. So, now you are wondering if here is where I let you in on my little secret. OK I'll tell you what it is.... the secret is that some see it/do it, and to my befuddlement others can't. Wish I had more...

The engineer inside is searching for the equation and the scientist for the method to facilitate reproduction. There must be a process we can implement to produce applications of a singular style and high level of usability.

I'm still looking for something concrete...