Most programmers' fear of user interface (UI) programming comes from their fear of doing UI design. They think that UI design is like graphic design—the mysterious process by which creative, latte-drinking, all-black-wearing people produce cool-looking, artistic pieces. Most programmers see themselves as analytic, logical thinkers instead—strong at reasoning, weak on artistic judgment, and incapable of doing UI design. In this brilliantly readable book, author Joel Spolsky proposes simple, logical rules that can be applied without any artistic talent to improve any user interface, from traditional GUI applications to websites to consumer electronics. Spolsky's primary axiom, the importance of bringing the program model in line with the user model, is both rational and simple. In a fun and entertaining way, Spolky makes user interface design easy for programmers to grasp. After reading User Interface Design for Programmers, you'll know how to design interfaces with the user in mind. You'll learn the important principles that underlie all good UI design, and you'll learn how to perform usability testing that works.

A comprehensive sourcebook of practical guidelines for developing clear software user interfaces.

This book show you how to design the user interface in a systematic and practical way. It bridges the gap between traditional programming perspective and human-computer interaction approaches.--[book cover].

Learn how to design software interfaces for embedded systems applications that are intuitive for your users and cost-effective for you. Front Panel shows you how to leverage object methods -- even when you are using assembler or C. Take a look at these topics!: - Event handling patterns for graphical and non-graphical user interfaces - Using objects for graphical interfaces - The pros and cons of C & C++ in embedded systems - Using simulations and prototypes to test your design - Looking at the human side of the user interface interaction - Finite state machines & table driven software The enclosed disk contains C and C++ programming examples that show how to structure the data to be manipulated by the user, and how to queue and process user events. If you design and build embedded systems, Front Panel will make your applications more effective -- and more successful. ;

This accessible and authoritative reference explores the practical implications of new trends in the development of user interface software. Developments such as groupware, virtual reality and multimedia are likely to alter the way we all view software both as developers and users. This book looks beyond the hype and tells what all the buzzwords mean for the working programmer and developer.

People expect effortless, engaging interaction with desktop and web applications, but producing software that generates enjoyable user experiences is much harder than many companies anticipate. With Effective UI, you'll learn proven user-experience strategies that will satisfy your clients and customers, drive business value, and increase brand strength. This book shows you how to capture the collaborative and cooperative spirit among designers, engineers, and management required for building engaging software. You'll also learn valuable methods for maintaining focus throughout the process -- whether you're a product manager who needs a clear roadmap, a developer or designer looking for guidance and advocacy, or a businessperson who wants to understand and manage user-experience software initiatives. Learn how to build software that will: Generate engaging and interactive experiences between consumers and businesses, or between businesspeople and their information systems Account for how people work with, think about, and consume information Establish a richer means of collaboration and communication Reduce frustration by streamlining complex tasks and creating processes that are more intuitive Distinguish products, services, and brands to create a competitive advantage Create scalable systems that adapt to changing user needs and behaviors