Many developers base their GUI design and implementation on two types of people. The first is the tech generation. They’re tech-savvy and connected to their gadgets pretty much constantly. They adapt to new technologies and understand how to navigate through systems with relative ease.
The second type is the older generation. These people are presumed to be tech-illiterate. They don’t understand how to use technology at all — and they may lack the built-in skills to learn how to use technology.
Continue reading “Bridging the Generation Gap in GUI Design”
Sometimes developers see things differently than users. Creating user interface (UI) prototypes is one way to reduce the risk of a disconnect occurring between the system developers and system users.
Whether they’re designing a graphical or text-based interface, UI designers are always on the lookout for a better end product. This search most always leads them to one basic but far-reaching question: how can I make my design simpler?
When it comes to solid UI development and design it is important to learn from the successes – and the failures – of others. Here are five epic UI fails and the reasons why they didn’t succeed. 
Start with alpha testing. Then move on to beta testing. Then advance to the stages in product development when systems and interfaces are tested for viability. Then make adjustments and corrections before conducting additional testing until – finally — you reach the viable product stage.
With the new Windows 10 release date on the horizon, and with the Preview Build version already here (as of March 18, 2015), GUI and UI developers and designers wonder if it will improve PC UX. There were many complaints about the 8.0 and 8.1 systems in which users stated that some features were not user-friendly. This is not the feedback that designers want to hear. Building great UX technology into any hardware or software system is their ultimate goal – delivering a high level of user satisfaction with the products they purchase. Taking feedback from 8.0 and 8.1 to heart and applying it in this new release should help the designers at Microsoft to increase their success rate.
Everyone has become familiar with touch technology in the 21st century, both with and without haptic feedback. But touchscreen interfaces controlled by a finger or stylus aren’t the only methods of user interface in the Age of Technology. Holographic reflection, infrared detection and thought projection are just some of the cutting-edge interface options available for those seeking alternative methods to enhance the user experience.