Graphical interfaces help make powerful technology intuitive and accessible. They give us super powers. Join Sam Otis, Lead Designer at Blend Interactive, as the Sioux Falls Content + Design Group joins up with Sioux Falls Design Week for a fun look at how GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) have developed, what makes an interface good today, and what challenges the future holds.
14. Affordances are an object’s properties
that show the possible actions users
can take with it, thereby suggesting
how they may interact with that
object.
Coined by Psychologist James Gibson in 1977
38. Conventions become how things
are expected to work.
That helps people understand things quickly and intuitively, but
also limits our thinking to a narrow set of patterns.
42. Finger tap = mouse click
Vertical swipe = scrolling with mouse
What is the big deal?
43. For the first time digital elements can
react directly to your touch.
● More natural for us humans
● Frees computers from physical keyboards and mice
50. Smaller screens and finger sized hit
areas forces simplification and
prioritization of the layout.
● Off-canvas menus
● Responsive and mobile first design
101. Credits/Resources:
Inventing the Medium - Janet M. Murray
Design for the Mind - Victor S. Yocco
The Humane Representation of Thought - Bret Victor
VR Interface Design - Michael Alger
Understanding Context - Andrew Hinton
Approaching a Truly Natural Interface - Tyler Waite
Buffalo Vision - Ben Vance
102. Super amazing GUI design guide (for the future)!
Balance metaphor and magic
● Leverage conventions and maintain digital affordances
Consider context
● Invested user or casual interaction
Give users superpowers
● Balance simplicity and power features
● Anticipate user intent but don’t take away control
Help the computer speak human
● Provide multiple ways to do things
● Forgiving inputs with helpful feedback for errors or delays