Republic Islamic of AfghanistanMinistry of Higher Education

Herat UniversityFaculty of Computer Science

Prepared by: Zalmai Arman & Khowrow Kian

FLEXIBLE GRAPHICAL

USER INTERFACE

Content Introduction Consistence Simple & Clear Guidance Aesthetic MESSAGES AND NOTIFICATION MARKS FLEXIBLE Psychology of brain Dominance to environment SPECIOSITY HELP CONCOLUSION

User interface is an environment that indicate the communication betweenhuman and computers. The satisfaction of users depend on that, that theyhave more and better interact with computers and their interfaces. Byconsideration of different style of users and different environments ofcomputers it seems problem to design a flexible user interface, but ingeneral, there is some standards that consider by designers of userinterface during the design which are noteworthy and focused in thisresearch paper. Finally, describing some modern standards that belongs toHCI (human computer interaction) that can be useful for interactionbetween users an computer.

Introduction User interface is an environment that indicate the communication

between human and computers.

Flexible user interface can be in this means that the graphical interfacescan respond to request of different users with different abilities to usecomputers.

but in general, there is some standards that consider by designers of userinterface during the design which are noteworthy and focused in thispresentation.

Consistence A consistent interface page, allow to user to use his/her knowledge and

learned subjects. A consistent interface create familiar environment thatcauses to learned easy by user (Ferrari, 2005).

Microsoft company motion to different type of windows in (2007) whichshow user interface and excellent interaction, User that be familiar to apage of windows can learn other windows page very easy and early.Minus are good examples to this purpose. In most windows pages, theFile menu put on left side and Edit, View, Tools, Help and other put inorder after that.

Consistence It possible to say the Document word is better than the File and Help

must be put before the File menu. There is no limited to these changesbut it well be reduce the more interaction of user and to use fromapplications, because user must be stay a little to thing about place ofmenus an there sections. User expect to find Copy, Cut and Paste itemsinto Edit menu. Transmission of these items into File menu, cause userbecome amazing. To consistent user interface try to reduce delays do notlet users become amaze, because sensory of users are active when theyuse computer.

Simple & Clear The best user interface has simple user interface. Simple design, can

make easy learning and use, so they are very consistency. User must notface with a lot of information in suddenly, but it’s better to put a lot ofinformation in a small place of page by using icons or links to the otherpage that doesn’t seems noisy page. Some users when face to a lot ofinformation labor, think un useful and leave application page. In order toprevent from these actions try to design more friendly and simple pagesthat they information step by step for users. Simple and clear userinterface prevent from extra mistakes that well cause to fail applications.

Guidance User must always become aware and alert dialog box repeat errors

repeatedly. Also alert or dialog box must be proper to event that occurduring operation. For example if in search section of a program the userinput some incorrect text for search, application show text alert that (areyou sure that you wrote correct request?).

Aesthetic In a computerized test, six different graphical and non-graphical user bring in test by

(Hwa Hu [et al], 1999) for study the role of user interface, to communicate user withdatabase. The results shown graphical user interface act very well and as fast aspossible that if the user need to store or can get information as soon as possible.Graphical user interface act well than non-graphical user interface for users. Ingraphical user interface, color is the most important element in order to get satisfactionof users. Also, impact of colors studied for knowing of user. Blue and red have conflictmeaning, red is a hot color that can be useful for interaction with user and its use toshow the announce or the important alerts to the users. But, blue is a cold color and it’sused for suggestion of some document or subjects.

Message and Notification Marks Consideration to messages and notification marks has the most

important role in direction of users. For example, if some file don’t findfrom a directory, from application a message show to user that (yourconsider file is not exist!). Because all users with different languagesknow the alerts and messages the developer or designer must use fromnotification marks. A notification mark can be used instead of words orsentences. But, it cannot show one meaning to all users and for this casetry to use the standard mark that they are international.

Flexible Flexible is one of most important traits of users interfaces, because the

best graphical user interfaces are that which they can response to alldifferent requests of users. For example, the windows browser orinternet explorer allow to users to copy information from keyboard orfrom menu section. Use from keyboard often use for shortcut and itsuseful for prevent from extra time.

Psychology of Brain Psychology has important role in all steps. From beginning up to end of

creation of an interface. Shapes, colors, pictures, words and otherelements that uses in an interface must have or include all psycologisticrole in order that the users feel convenience and don’t being weary. Userinterface must be match with user interest and must be proper fordifferent age’s interest. Researches shows that brain of users acts acrossthe events: how thinking, how remember and how learning.

Dominance to Environment From psychologists vision, when user seems satisfaction from graphical

user interface and their works that user get a good result. The user mustbe able or to get the control of applications, when users find theenvironment weary for him/herself, find some questions. Can userinterface response to the user’s requests or no? If it doesn’t, user feelthat there is no any dominance to application and user will criticize aboutgraphical user interface and finally the program well be failed.

Speciosity Also, user must be able to see the reason or impact of her/his operations

that they do in user interface. This allows to users that think and reach inthis result that they have control of the activities that they do oncomputer.

Help Help for users, can be such as example on search text field that can be

effective to find answers of questions, or for primary users can beeffective to learn fast as soon as possible.

Conclusion As mentioned above, computer is the unseparated section of human life in age of

technology. It is no way to communicate with computer but having a flexible graphicaluser interface make it possible. Different person, accept different shapes and differentconstructed user interfaces, but in final collection of standard and general traits areavailable to design user interface that must not be disregard (Loli-Queru, 2002). In thisresearch assay to define and specify General standards of flexible user interface. Thisstandards are: consistent, simple and clear, guidance, aesthetic, use from messagesand notification marks, flexible, consideration of psycologistic role, dominance toenvironment, speciosity and help. Users of different application can chose their favoriteuser interface by using these standards, and so the developer well be able to designbest flexible graphical user interfaces that their users seem satisfaction fromenvironment that they woks on and fell convenience .

References: Alan Dix [et al]. (2004). HUMAN COMPUTER-INTERACTION.

Ferrari, J. (2005). secretsuserinterface.html. Retrieved from Atari magazines: http://www.atarimagazines.com/startv4n1/secretsuserinterface.html

Hu, P. J.-H. (n.d.). journal. Retrieved from i-learn.uitm.edu.my: http://ilearn.uitm.edu.my/resources/journal/Evaluation%20of%20user%20interface%20designs%20for%20information%20retrieval%20systems%20a%20computer-based%20experiment.pdf

Loli-Queru.(n.d.).story.Retrievedfromosnews: http://www.osnews.com/story/1347