User Interface Design: The Button’s Vocabulary
User interfaces for interactive applications basically consist of input from users and feedback from the interface. In order for the user to be able to use – give input to – the interface, the user need to understand what the interface is about. The UI needs to talk to its user in order to work at a truly satisfying level.
The average friendly button needs to be able to say the following to its user:
- Hi, I’m a button and you can click me!
- If you click me this will happen: [action]
- This is my importance compared to my fellow buttons: [importance]
- I’m related to these guys over here
- I’m not related to what’s over there
- You are pointing to me, and I’m ready to receive your click!
- You are clicking me, and I’m ready to carry out my action!
- It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want me to do anything after all
- Look! Now I’m performing my action in all my glory!
- You did great!
- Umm… Sorry, but I’m disabled at this point, and clicking me is of no use
It’s a lot of language when you look at it like this. I’ve found it quite supportive on many occasions to look at user interface design problems in terms of language.
Great post, I like it! UI is a dialog, because it is communication.
But what about non-verbal personalities? How should they carry on this dialog? You know, the people who can’t stay in their seats. They have to gesture or even grab a marker and draw pictures.
I believe UI needs to speak to personality traits like these. More on my blog:
http://smoothspan.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/web-20-personality-types/
Thanks – glad you like it.
When you discuss target audience in a design phase, I think it’s a very good process to describe the various audiences in terms of personas. Anything that can serve as a support in that regard should be taken into consideration. Including behavioral patterns as you describe them in your article.
I do find it the most useful however, to envision the personas on a very personal level – Who do I know personally who has similar traits? How did I feel when I was in that particular age? And so on…
My post above however, doesn’t take audiences into consideration at all. It’s merely an attempt at describing a process that I find useful when designing user interfaces for any audience.