Full color guide showing any programmer how to become a good user interface designer. Discusses information programmers need to know, and features examples of what to do and not to do with user interfaces. Most programmers’ fear of user interface (UI) programming comes from their fear of doing UI design.
Book Description
They think that UI design is like graphic design—the mysterious process by which creative, latte-drinking, all-black-wearing people produce cool-looking, artistic pieces. Most programmers see themselves as analytic, logical thinkers instead—strong at reasoning, weak on artistic judgment, and incapable of doing UI design.
In this brilliantly readable book, author Joel Spolsky proposes simple, logical rules that can be applied without any artistic talent to improve any user interface, from traditional GUI applications to websites to consumer electronics. Spolsky’s primary axiom, the importance of bringing the program model in line with the user model, is both rational and simple.
In a fun and entertaining way, Spolky makes user interface design easy for programmers to grasp. After reading User Interface Design for Programmers, you’ll know how to design interfaces with the user in mind. You’ll learn the important principles that underlie all good UI design, and you’ll learn how to perform usability testing that works.
Table of Contents
- Controlling Your Environment Makes You Happy
- Figuring Out What They Expected
- Choices
- Affordances and Metaphors
- Consistency and Other Hobgoblins
- Designing for People Who Have Better Things To Do With Their Lives
- Designing for People Who Have Better Things To Do With Their Lives, Part Two
- Designing for People Who Have Better Things To Do With Their Lives, Part Three
- The Process of Designing a Product