Ease of use can be a major selling factor in a modern product. As embedded systems become more sophisticated, making new features intuitive is a huge challenge. This course introduces the skills required to design a new user interface or improve an existing one. The class strikes a balance between concrete topics such as menus and icons and general principles of good design. Both graphical and non-graphical interfaces are considered.

Length/Options

• 2 days

Audience

• Anyone responsible for user interface design

Prerequisites

• None

Related Courses

• Graphics for Embedded Systems

Outline

• Definitions and Principles
• Mental Models
• Directed and Undirected Interfaces
• Multi-tasking
• Equal Opportunity
• Associative User Operations
• Consistency
• Modes
• Robustness
• Affordance
• Object-Oriented Design
• Specifying the User Interface
• Requirements Language
• Guiding Principles vs. Use Cases
• Relative to Previous Products/Competition
• Inspections
• Walkthroughs
• Defining the User
• Theory X and Theory Y
• User Motivations and Options
• Trusting the User
• Industrial vs. Commercial vs. Consumer Goods
• Pacing and Timing
• Graphics
• Layout of GUI Relative to Other Controls
• Graphical Input and Direct Manipulation
• Use of Color and Grayscales
• Graphical Idioms That Rarely Work
• Imitating Mechanical Controls
• Division into Windows and Pages
• Menus
• Wizards for User Input
• Moving Graphs and Other Animations
• Displays with Very Little Physical Space
• Text Input Without a Keyboard
• Internationalization
• Icons
• How to Draw Icons
• Use on Screen vs. Device
• Use as Input vs. Output
• Reinforcing Icons
• Prototypes
• Prototyping Environments
• How Development Environment Influences Outcome
• User Trials with Prototypes (Hazards of)
• Mechanical Controls
• Disadvantage of Software in the Loop
• Imitating Controls on Pre-Software Devices
• Layout of Controls and Displays
• Multi-Threaded Interfaces
• Error Management
• User Error Messages
• Undo Operations
• Inputs Temporarily Wrong During Data Input
• Online Help (pros and cons)
• System Failures
• Monitoring
• Alarms and Alerting Users Attention
• Barographs, Linegraphs, and Moving Indicators
• Distance Viewing
• Perceived and Real Accuracy
• Minimalist Views vs. Heavily Decorated Data
• Safety and Security
• Roles for Safety and Security
• Mechanical Interlocks
• Extending FMEA to User Actions
• Usability vs. Safety
• Usability vs. Security
• Testing
• Testing the Interface vs. the Software
• Defining Test Team Role Re: Usability

Learn More

To request pricing or dates, or for more information about this course, contact us.