ADE413 MULTIMEDIA DESIGN

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

REPORT ON TOPIC SELECTED:

TOPIC 2: USER INTERFACE (UI) PRINCIPLES EVERY DESIGNER

MUST KNOW

Name : Nurul Nadzira binti Mohd Farid

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 Table of Content

1.0 Introduction

2.0 User Interface Principles Designers Must Know

3.0 Conclusion

4.0 Reference

1.0 Introduction

What is User Interface (UI)?

The UI, also known as user interface, is the point of contact and communication

between a user and a computer. This includes visual elements such as tablet, handphone,

laptop, display screens, keyboards, a mouse, and the look of a computer desktop. It is also

how a person interacts with an application or website.

As web and mobile applications has become increasingly important for many

businesses, business owners are placing more emphasis on making the UI as intuitive and

user-friendly as possible to enhance the user experience thus, expanding their business and

reaching their target user effectively.

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 2.0 User Interface (UI) Principles Designers Must Know

2.1 Clarity

Clarity over complexity. Clarity is an essential part of a great UI design, from

identifying interactive and static elements to making navigation easier. There should be no

confusion throughout the interface for the user understanding. Designer must keep the

interface straightforward and clear, thus motivating user to keep on interacting with the

interface.

2.2 Familiarity

Good interfaces are the one user are familiar with. Users usually rely on interfaces

and elements that is familiar to their usual digital experience. The easier and more familiar

they are with understanding the website or app, there are high chances they will come back

to it. The less time users have to spend learning how the interface works, the quicker they

can start using the service or product stated. This will also minimize the chances of them

moving on to the next website due to the complexity of the interface.

2.3 User Control

It is important to place users in control of the interface. Users frequently pick system

functions unintentionally, and they will require a clear "emergency exit" to navigate out of the

current system functions without having to spent time restarting the process. In this

case, undo and redo function (Nielsen, 2020). This statement means providing users with

different options to undo when they feel they made an error. For example, when creating

forms, designers need to allow users the option to click ‘back’ to go back to previous page or

tab. Another example is to provide the ‘exit’ button clearly on website overlays (Refer Figure

1). If not, users might just click the previous button and go back to the homepage instead of

just exiting the overlay.

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 Figure 1

Example of clear exit button on a website overlay.

2.4 Hierarchy

Strong visual hierarchy is a core design principle of a good user interface. It consists

of organizing visual elements in a way that indicate the level of importance of each particular

element and guide users to take action required. It enables the users to distinguish the most

important information first, then the second and so on. Some of the elements include:

• Colour – bright colour stands out the most and can be used in neutral colour

schemes to give contrast, thus leading users to take certain action.

• Size – bigger element like button provided, creates more importance than smaller

button.

• Fonts – Try to use various font sizes, styles and weights to create visual hierarchy.

For example, take a look at Odoo website main headline (Refer Figure 2), which

uses the biggest font to clearly describes the content, and the word “real” and “CRM”

are written in bold type to highlight the message.

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 Figure 2

Example of various font size and weight used.

• Negative Space – Negative space draws attention and emphasizes important

elements. Do not squeeze all the objects and elements on the screen together;

instead, give them some breathing room.

2.5 Accessibility

There are over 1 billion people that have disabilities worldwide, that is why

accessibility is a crucial factor when designing user interfaces. Creating accessible user

interfaces means making them useful for people with disabilities. Those with cognitive or

neurological related conditions, as well as those with hearing, visual, or movement

difficulties, are all considered while designing with accessibility in mind. Designers can make

their interfaces more accessible by using features like colour contrast, larger font sizes, and

alternative text for images. For example, Voice over like Alexa or Siri, offers visually impaired

users to navigate their products using spoken descriptions.

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2.6 Flexibility

Flexibility is a key principle of user interface (UI) design, from designing solutions that

work well in all situations (from an old computer or tablet like iPad) to using shortcuts that

speed up interaction for users. Ideally, not only user interface (UI) design should be easy to

learn for new users, but it must also include accelerators to help advanced users enhanced

their tasks. In short, designers must make sure that their design is flexible and efficient for all

types of users, from beginners to experts, and also, devices like mobile, laptop, tablet or PC.

3.0 Conclusion

An excellent user interface (UI) design creates a seamless environment in which

users may grow, but the design itself is almost unnoticed. Good designers understand that

adhering to user interface (UI) design principles like those discussed above can help to

produce a more effective user interface, enabling interaction to the point where the users

scarcely notice the interface at all.

In conclusion, user interface design principles are crucial for creating user-friendly,

functional, and aesthetically pleasing interfaces. These principles discussed above, assist

designers in creating interfaces that are simple to use, navigate, and understand, resulting in

better user engagement, satisfaction, and product success.

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 4.0 References

Chappal, M. S. (2021, May 26). The 6 Key Principles of UI Design. Retrieved from In The Loop by

Maze: https://maze.co/collections/ux-ui-design/ui-design-principles/

Churchville, F. (2021, September 15). definition of user interface (UI). Retrieved from

TechTarget | App Architecture:

https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/user-interface-UI

Fleck, R. (2021, December 6). 10 Fundamental UI Design Principles You Need To Know.

Retrieved from dribbble: https://dribbble.com/resources/ui-design-principles

Mukherjee, P. (2023, April 14). The Most Important UI Design Principles Every Designer

Must Know. Retrieved from Medium.com:

https://medium.com/@theupbeatdesigner/the-most-important-ui-design-principles-

every-designer-must-know-cb8225edc937

Nielsen, J. (2020, November 15). 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design. Retrieved

from Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-

heuristics/