GUI design techniques to enhance user experience [closed]

Answer 1

Rounded corners!

(Yes that's tongue in cheek)

Answer 2

The Coding Horror Blog regularly gives great ideas. Just some examples:

• Exploratory and incremental learning
• Self-documenting user interface
• Incremental search of features/Smart keyboard access
• Task-oriented design (ribbon instead of menus and toolbars)
• Providing undo instead of constant confirmation

Another aspect: use scalable icons to solve the problem of multiple user screen resolutions without maintaining different resolution bitmaps.

Answer 3

First Principles: Wilfred James Hansen

• Know the User
• Minimize Memorization
• Optimize Operations
• Engineer for Errors

Subsequent Expansions: Dr. Theo Mandel

Place Users in Control

• Use Modes Judiciously (modeless)
• Allow Users to use either the Keyboard or Mouse (flexible)
• Allow Users to Change Focus (interruptible)
• Display Descriptive Messages and Text (helpful)
• Provide Immediate and Reversible Actions, and Feedback (forgiving)
• Provide meaningful Paths and Exits (navigable)
• Accommodate Users with Different Skill Levels (accessible)
• Make the User Interface Transparent (facilitative)
• Allow Users to Customize the Interface (preferences)
• Allow Users to Directly Manipulate Interface Objects (interactive)

Reduce Users' Memory Load

• Relieve Short-term Memory (remember)
• Rely on Recognition, not Recall (recognition)
• Provide Visual Cues (inform)
• Provide Defaults, Undo, and Redo (forgiving)
• Provide Interface Shortcuts (frequency)
• Promote an Object-action Syntax (intuitive)
• Use Real-world Metaphors (transfer)
• User Progressive Disclosure (context)
• Promote Visual Clarity (organize)

Make the Interface Consistent

• Sustain the Context of Users’ Tasks (continuity)
• Maintain Consistency within and across Products (experience)
• Keep Interaction Results the Same (expectations)
• Provide Aesthetic Appeal and Integrity (attitude)
• Encourage Exploration (predictable)

Answer 4

Check out the great book Don't make me think by Steve Krug.
It's web focused but many of the conepts can apply to anything from blenders to car dashboards.
Topics covered:

• User patterns
• Designing for scanning
• Wise use of copy
• Navigation design
• Home page layout
• Usability testing

He also has a blog called Advanced Common Sense

And some random UI related links:
- User Interface Design for Programmers by Joel Spolsky
- 10 Usability Nightmares You Should Be Aware Of

Answer 5

I've found UI Patterns to be a useful reference for this sort of thing. It's arranged much like the classic GoF Design Patterns book, with each pattern description containing:

• The problem the pattern solves
• An example of the pattern in action
• Sample use cases for the pattern
• The solution to implement the pattern
• Rationale for the solution

Answer 6

The items in the list you presented are really situation dependent - they will vary from application to application. Some applications will need a save button, some won't. Some conditions will warrant a modal dialog box, some won't.

My top rule for designing a usable interface: Follow existing UI conventions. Nothing confuses a user more than a UI that doesn't work like anything they've ever used. Lotus Notes has one of the worst user interfaces ever created, and it is almost entirely because they went against common UI conventions with just about everything that they did.

If you're questioning how you should design a certain piece of your UI, think of a few standard/well-known applications that provide similar functionality and see how they do it.