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White Paper: User Interface Design in Software Applications Abstract While much of our attention today is focused on designing applications for the web, there are still many times when a project is strictly designed for the desktop. Designing user interfaces for desktop software applications is not the same as designing applications for the web. These types of applications are often very complex, critical to business processes, and heavily used making facilitating user adoption and utilization critical. One of the biggest factors in how well software applications are adopted and utilized is how easy the user interface is to understand and use. Ease of use is directly related to how similar it is to other applications they already know, if it reflects the real world, and how much feedback it provides throughout its use. The design concepts presented here combine the opinions of coders, graphic designers, and users. The existing design concepts are based on insights from psychology and linguistics, on the design experiences of others, and on our own experiences. These design concepts have been extended to address evolving interface styles that will provide a more friendly appearance and behavior in the future. Designing successful user interfaces for desktop software applications remains a critical skill for application developers. Successful interface designs don't just happen, they require that basic concepts, including making the design something the user will enjoy working with every day, be applied. They also require experience with and being exposed to successful interface designs. Remember, if developers consistently apply these concepts and gain experience in successful interface design, the users of their applications will have higher adoption and utilization rates than before, which is the ultimate goal. Contents
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