Chapter 3. INTERFACE DESIGN FOR DEVICES

by Branden J. Hall, Fig Leaf Software

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER:

• Understanding common interface issues

• Special device considerations

• Creating standard components for devices

• Optimizing interfaces

It would be an understatement to say that designing good user interfaces is tough. It is, in fact, so difficult that there are numerous Ph.D. dissertations written every year on the subject. However, to summarize all the difficulties with good interface design, you could simply say that people are a problem.

Our attention span is short, our eyesight is in various stages of deterioration, and our hand-eye coordination varies greatly, just to name a few of our maladies. Toss into the mix that we are sometimes plain and simply dense, and you can see the formidable challenge posed to any interface designer.

In this chapter, you are going to learn about common interface issues, certain considerations you need to keep in mind when developing for devices, how to use some specially built interface components for devices, and how to optimize the code that makes up your user interfaces. This chapter won't make you an interface design guru, but it will help prevent you from making some of the most common interface mistakes, as well as give you some tools to help you create good user interfaces for devices.