20 Big UI design principles that good designers should know

World class http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/12288.html "> Graphic Design Master Paul Rand once said:" Design is not a simple arrangement and simply edit, It should be full of value and meaning, to explain the truth, to Shanfanjiujian, to clarify the deduction, to decorate and beautify, to praise, to make it a drama, so that people believe you said ... ", so that design is not easy, excellent design is even more difficult, Today small set accidentally found an interface designer Joshua Porter blog An article-"Principles of User Interface Design", the article listed the 20 of the principles of the UI, after reading, feel very inspired, so try to compile it, Hope to be able to give a large number of designers-especially the beginner's entry-level designers, to provide better learning opportunities. The full text compiles as follows:

1. Clarity is the primary task

Clarity is the interface design, the first step is the most important work. To be able to design an interface that works and is liked, you must first allow the user to recognize it? Let the user know why it is used? For example, when users use, can anticipate what happens, and successfully interact with it. Some interface design is not too clear, although it can meet the needs of users, but not long-term, and clear interface can attract users to continue to reuse.

2. Interfaces exist to facilitate interaction

The presence of the interface facilitates interaction between the user and our world. A good interface not only allows us to work efficiently, but also stimulates, evokes and strengthens our connection to the world.

3. Protecting and respecting the user's attention

When we read, there are always many things that distract us, making it difficult for us to concentrate and read quietly. Therefore, it is critical to be able to attract the attention of the user in the design of the interface, so do not clutter your application with distracting attention and keep in mind the importance of a neat screen to attract attention. If you want to display the advertisement, please show it after the user has finished reading it. Respect the user's attention, not only make users happier, and your advertising will be better. Therefore, to design a good interface, protect and respect the user's attention is a prerequisite.

4. Let the interface in the user's control

Humans tend to be comfortable with the ability to control themselves and the environment around them. Software that does not take into account the user's feelings often makes the comfort disappear, forcing users to enter unplanned interactions that are uncomfortable for the user. Ensure that the interface in the user's control, let the user determine the system state, a little guidance, I think you will achieve your desired goal.

5. The feeling of direct operation is the best

When we can manipulate objects directly, the user's feeling is the best, but it's not easy to implement, because the icons we add to the interface design are often not necessary, such as we use too much of the buttons, graphics, options, attachments, and so on, to end up manipulating the UI elements rather than the important things. And the original goal? is to simplify and directly manipulate ... So in the design of the interface, we need to know as much as possible about human natural gestures. Ideally, the interface design should be concise, so that users have a direct sense of operation.

6. Each screen requires a theme

Each of the images we design should have a single theme, which not only allows users to use its real value, but also makes it easy to use, easier to work with, and easier to modify when necessary. If a screen supports two or more than two themes, it immediately makes the entire interface look cluttered. Just as the article should have a single theme and a strong argument, so should our interface design, which is why the interface exists.

7. Do not let the secondary action distracting

Each screen contains a major action, you can have a number of minor actions, but try not to make them distracting! The article exists to get people to read it, not to let people share it on Twitter. So when designing the interface, try to weaken the visual impact of the minor action, or show it after the main action is completed.

8. Natural transition

Interface interaction is interlocking, so design, think carefully about the next step in the interaction. Consider what the next interaction is, and implement it by design. This is like our daily conversation, which is to provide words for in-depth conversation. When users have completed the steps to do so, don't let them be overwhelmed, give them a natural way to go on, to achieve their goals.

9. Appearance following function (similar to form following function)

People are always comfortable with the behavior they expect. When the behavior of other people, animals, things, or software always meets our expectations, we feel a good relationship with them. This is also the design of dealing with people should do. In practice, this means that the user can just look at it to see what happens next, and if it looks like a button, it should have the function of a button. Designers should not be smart about basic interaction issues and be creative in higher-level issues.

10. Distinguishing between the focus

If screen elements are functionally different, they should look different. Conversely, if the functions are the same or similar, they should look the same. In order to maintain consistency, primary designers tend to use the same visual processing effect on elements that should be differentiated, in fact, the use of different visual effects is appropriate.

11. Strong sense of visual hierarchy

If you want the visual elements of the screen to have a clear view of the order, it should be achieved through a strong sense of visual hierarchy. In other words, if the user every time in the same order to browse the same thing, the visual level is not obvious, users do not know where the focus should be focused on, the end will only make users feel a mess. In the case of changing the design, it is difficult to maintain a clear hierarchical relationship, because all of the element hierarchy is relative: If all the elements are highlighted, the last is equivalent to no focus. To add an element that requires special prominence, the designer may need to reconsider the visual weight of each element in order to achieve a clear visual hierarchy again. Although most people do not perceive the visual level, this is the easiest way to enhance the design.

12. Appropriate organizational visual elements to reduce the user's cognitive load

As noted by designer John Maeda in his book "Simplicity," the proper organization of visual elements can simplify, helping others to understand your expression more quickly and easily, such as the inclusion of content. The relationship between elements can be naturally expressed by the orientation and direction of the organization. Properly organizing content can ease the user's cognitive load, and they don't have to figure out the relationship between elements because you're already showing it. Instead of forcing the user to make a distinction, the designer displays it with the organization. Instead of forcing users to figure things out for themselves, designers should be directly

13. Color is not a determining factor

The color of the object changes as the light changes. When the sun shines and the sunset is sinking, we can see a great contrast in the scenery. In other words, color can easily be changed by the environment, so don't take color as a determining factor when designing. Color can be eye-catching as a guide, but should not be the only element to make a difference. In the case of lengthy reading or long time facing the computer screen, in addition to the emphasis of the content, should use a relatively dim or soft background color. Of course, depending on the reader, you can also use a bright background color.

14. Sequential Presentation

Each screen displays only the required content. If the user needs to make a decision, show enough information to choose from, and they will find the required details on the next screen. Avoid overly interpreting or presenting all at once, if possible, placing selections on the next screen to show the information in steps. This will make your interface more clear.

15. Inline Help Options

In the ideal user interface, the Help option is unnecessary because the user interface can effectively guide the user's learning. A similar "next" is actually a "help" embedded in a contextual context, and only appears in the right place when the user needs it, and is hidden all the time.

The designer's task is not to create a Help system where the user needs it, to shuffle the user's obligations to find the answer to their questions in the Help system. Instead, make sure that users know how to use the interface you provide, and that users are instructed and learned in the interface.

16. Critical moment: 0 States

The user's first experience with an interface is very important, and this is often overlooked by designers. In order to better help users quickly adapt to our design, the design should be in a zero state, that is, nothing happened. But this state is not a blank canvas, it should be able to provide users with direction and guidance, in order to help users quickly adapt to the design. In the initial state of interaction there will be some friction, once users understand the various rules, it will have a high chance of success.

17. Improve the interface for existing problems

People are always looking for solutions to existing problems, not potential or future problems. So, instead of designing interfaces for hypothetical problems, we should look at existing behaviors and designs to solve existing problems. This is really not an exciting thing, but it is the most valuable thing, because once your user interface is becoming more perfect, more users will be willing to use your interface.

18. Excellent design is invisible

A good design has an odd attribute that is often overlooked by its users. One of the reasons is that the design was so successful that its users focused on accomplishing their goals and ignoring the interface they were facing, and they were happy to get out of the interface when the user reached their goal successfully. But as a designer, this may be a bit unfair, and when our design is excellent, we don't get a lot of flattery. Of course, good designers do not mind this, because they understand that satisfied users are often silent.

19. Study in many fields and learn from other subjects

Visual, graphic design, typesetting, copywriting, information structure and visualization, all of these areas of knowledge should be the interface design should contain content, designers should be involved in this knowledge or comparative expertise. Don't look down on this knowledge: get a lot of things worth learning from to improve your ability to work. Designers have a long vision to learn from seemingly unrelated subjects such as publishing, programming, binding, skateboarding, fire fighting and even karate.

20. The presence of the interface must be used

In most design areas, the key to successful interface design is that users use it. For example, a beautiful chair, although exquisite but sitting uncomfortable, then the user will not choose to use it, it is the failure of the design. Therefore, the interface design is not only to design a use environment, but also to create a worthwhile work of art. Interface design is not enough to satisfy the vanity of its designer: it must be useful!

Via Bokardo

Source: http://www.leiphone.com/0806-danice-ui-design-principles.html