02:17
Paragyte Technologies
The User Interface is the face of a website, and the first
impression a user makes of it might make or mar the prospect of the user's
engagement with the website. Still, one comes across websites that are so messy and filled with features, that they
prove to be a big turn off for the user. A shoddy UI will fail to attract the
user, regardless of how many advanced features it has. While playing around with features and
technologies might be an exciting proposition from the programming point of
view, developers must always have the 80-20 rule in their mind. The rule
states that 80% of the users use only a few apps on the interface, while only
20% might use all of them (Apple Inc.). Hence, while the 20% need not
necessarily be ignored, a UI must primarily be built with the 80% in mind.
Here are six best practices that teams building UIs can keep
in mind while creating an elegant and user-friendly interface -
Progressive Disclosure Technique
Instead of bombarding the user with all apps and information
you can provide, hide most of them and provide only the most important ones.
This will help novice users navigate the page easily and yet allow experienced
uses utilize the advanced features provided.
Arranging Menus as per Hierarchy
Menus that display commands to handle high level objects are
often placed first, followed by menus for specific objects. For example, in a
Word document, the menu list starts with 'File' that has commands for the
entire file, and then follow menus for editing, viewing, inserting, formatting
etc. Such ordering makes the job of user easy and is also easily remembered.
Use Tooltips
In an effort to make a website slick, the developer could
end up creating elements that the user is not familiar with. Leaving
instructions in texts strewn all across the page will only make it messy. The
best way to familiarize the user with the elements on a page without
compromising on the aesthetics is by using tooltips. Tips that occur in a
bubble when the user moves the cursor over the element and then disappear when
the cursor moves away are a great way to make the user on the go. In case of
mobile applications, the user could work with two taps – the first for the tip
and then second for the action.
Avoid Taxing User Memory
No user likes to remember more details than he or she really
has to. Asking the user to enter the same data on multiple pages would not only
irk the user but also is the sign of a non-optimal development. A UI should not
put too much stress on the user's cognitive process. That is to say, the user
should not have to do more work that he really has to. So if the user is
entering his customer id or personal information on one page, the UI should be
able to carry the data over to the subsequent pages instead of asking the user
to re-enter them.
Be Minimalistic with Modals
The same goes for Modals. Using too many modal popups is
akin to screaming at the user to demand his attention. Modals tend to
constantly take control out of the user's hand and force the user to look at
them whether or not they like to. Using as less modal popups are possible helps
give the user a smooth experience in the website. When they must be used, the
modals should be easily dismiss-able, either with a 'X' or 'Close' on the top
right corner, or with the press of Esc. Making the modals vanish when the
cursor moves out of them is also a great way to retain user's control.
Multiple Execution Methods
When blogging in Wordpress, a user can go to the 'Posts' tab, click on a post, bring up a page with the entire post and edit it, or open it in a quick edit mode and do the necessary editing without bringing up a whole page. Sometimes when the user only wants to change the category of the post and not the entire content, he should no have to waste time in loading up all the elements associated with the page. Thus providing multiple paths for execution helps the user to navigate through the website with ease.
When blogging in Wordpress, a user can go to the 'Posts' tab, click on a post, bring up a page with the entire post and edit it, or open it in a quick edit mode and do the necessary editing without bringing up a whole page. Sometimes when the user only wants to change the category of the post and not the entire content, he should no have to waste time in loading up all the elements associated with the page. Thus providing multiple paths for execution helps the user to navigate through the website with ease.
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