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Desiging a Great UI
                                   Fred Spencer




Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Intro

                    • Fred Spencer
                     • Sr. Application Architect, Appcelerator
                     • Digital Media Instructor, Rhode Island
                               School of Design, Continuing Education

                             • Twitter: @anovice

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Topics

                    1. Principles
                    2. Process
                    3. Practical
                    4. Resources



Tuesday, September 6, 2011
1. Principles

                    • Connect
                    • Communicate
                    • Control


Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Principles : Connect

                    • You will never know your audience, but
                             you should know your audience well.

                    • Follow trends and communities.
                    • Identify subjective and objective.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Principles : Communicate

                    • Open dialog. Ask for opinions. Make
                             critisim productive.

                    • FILTER.
                    • Create simple processes for user
                             feedback.

                    • Highlight features that answer questions.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Principles : Control
                    • UI should lead.
                    • Obsess over simplicty and you will more
                             successfully define and argue your point
                             of view.

                    • Do not sacrifice usability for features.
                    • You won’t satisfy everyone.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
2. Process

                    • Research
                    • Plan
                    • Initiate


Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Research


                    • Indentify apps that stand out to you.
                    • Ask friends and collegues about the apps
                             they love and use every day.




Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Research
                    • Ask about apps that have left a lasting
                             impression. Often, these gems aren’t
                             very popular.

                    • Ask about apps they hate. Often, these
                             gems are popular, evoke passionate
                             opinions and offer incredible insight.



Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Research

                    • What makes these specific applications
                             stand out?

                             • Color scheme?
                             • Navigation?
                             • Features?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Research

                    • User Experience (UX) is a philosophy and
                             science.

                    • User Interface (UI) design supports your
                             UX goals.




Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Research
                    • Audiences will use what is available to
                             them.

                    • Audiences will rant and rave NO MATTER
                             WHAT.

                    • These aren’t reasons to cop-out. These
                             are opportunities.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Plan

                    • Define appplication features.
                    • Consider how you and others would
                             interact with these features.

                    • FLOWCHART & WIREFRAME.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Process : Initiate

                    • COMP & PROTOTYPE.
                    • What does your gut tell you?
                    • Table, merge or eliminate features that
                             don’t work.




Tuesday, September 6, 2011
3. Practical

                    • Do...
                    • Know Your Tools
                    • Examples


Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Practical : Do...
                    • ...catagorize and abstract features and
                             components so that layouts and assets
                             are consistent, recognizable and
                             reusable.

                    • ...integrate motion that leads the eye.
                    • ...define minimum interaction zones.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Practical : Know Your Tools


                    • Pixel or Vector?
                    • Asset Organization
                    • Export


Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Practical : Examples




Tuesday, September 6, 2011
4. Resources

                    • Absorb
                    • Learn
                    • Inspire
                    • Use

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Resources : Absorb
                    • boxesandarrows.com
                    • alistapart.com/topics/userscience
                    • sixrevisions.com
                    • thinkvitamin.com
                    • www.uxmag.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Resources : Learn
                    • Code (avoid DOM)
                     • codecademy.com
                     • learn.appendto.com
                    • Design
                     • lynda.com
                     • psd.tutsplus.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Resources : Inspire

                    • dribbble.com
                    • colourlovers.com
                    • lovedsgn.com
                    • behance.net

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Resources : Use
                    • Teehan+Lax
                     • bit.ly/iphone-ui-elements
                     • bit.ly/android-ui-elements
                     • bit.ly/iphone-sketch-elements
                    • http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/
                    • https://github.com/280north/aristo/
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Resources : Use

                    • www.zambetti.com/projects/liveview
                    • appcooker.com
                    • balsamiq.com


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

More Related Content

Fred Spencer: Designing a Great UI

  • 1. Desiging a Great UI Fred Spencer Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 2. Intro • Fred Spencer • Sr. Application Architect, Appcelerator • Digital Media Instructor, Rhode Island School of Design, Continuing Education • Twitter: @anovice Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 3. Topics 1. Principles 2. Process 3. Practical 4. Resources Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 4. 1. Principles • Connect • Communicate • Control Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 5. Principles : Connect • You will never know your audience, but you should know your audience well. • Follow trends and communities. • Identify subjective and objective. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 6. Principles : Communicate • Open dialog. Ask for opinions. Make critisim productive. • FILTER. • Create simple processes for user feedback. • Highlight features that answer questions. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 7. Principles : Control • UI should lead. • Obsess over simplicty and you will more successfully define and argue your point of view. • Do not sacrifice usability for features. • You won’t satisfy everyone. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 8. 2. Process • Research • Plan • Initiate Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 9. Process : Research • Indentify apps that stand out to you. • Ask friends and collegues about the apps they love and use every day. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 10. Process : Research • Ask about apps that have left a lasting impression. Often, these gems aren’t very popular. • Ask about apps they hate. Often, these gems are popular, evoke passionate opinions and offer incredible insight. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 11. Process : Research • What makes these specific applications stand out? • Color scheme? • Navigation? • Features? Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 12. Process : Research • User Experience (UX) is a philosophy and science. • User Interface (UI) design supports your UX goals. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 13. Process : Research • Audiences will use what is available to them. • Audiences will rant and rave NO MATTER WHAT. • These aren’t reasons to cop-out. These are opportunities. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 14. Process : Plan • Define appplication features. • Consider how you and others would interact with these features. • FLOWCHART & WIREFRAME. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 15. Process : Initiate • COMP & PROTOTYPE. • What does your gut tell you? • Table, merge or eliminate features that don’t work. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 16. 3. Practical • Do... • Know Your Tools • Examples Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 17. Practical : Do... • ...catagorize and abstract features and components so that layouts and assets are consistent, recognizable and reusable. • ...integrate motion that leads the eye. • ...define minimum interaction zones. Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 18. Practical : Know Your Tools • Pixel or Vector? • Asset Organization • Export Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 19. Practical : Examples Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 20. 4. Resources • Absorb • Learn • Inspire • Use Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 21. Resources : Absorb • boxesandarrows.com • alistapart.com/topics/userscience • sixrevisions.com • thinkvitamin.com • www.uxmag.com Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 22. Resources : Learn • Code (avoid DOM) • codecademy.com • learn.appendto.com • Design • lynda.com • psd.tutsplus.com Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 23. Resources : Inspire • dribbble.com • colourlovers.com • lovedsgn.com • behance.net Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 24. Resources : Use • Teehan+Lax • bit.ly/iphone-ui-elements • bit.ly/android-ui-elements • bit.ly/iphone-sketch-elements • http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/ • https://github.com/280north/aristo/ Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • 25. Resources : Use • www.zambetti.com/projects/liveview • appcooker.com • balsamiq.com Tuesday, September 6, 2011