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Welcome to your first class on Create User Interfaces.

This class is about the creation of a user interface in these steps:

• Clarify project requirements
• Generate ideas
• Plan approach
• Produce user interface
• Evaluate user interface

Clarify Project Requirements

This stage of the process is all about developing a good understanding of the client brief, the target audience, the needs of the client and target audience and the purpose of the interactive media product.

You will also need to look at technical aspects, such as the delivery platform, file output format.

Generate Ideas

Research interactive media product interfaces, designs, images, artwork and other creative sources that may inspire design ideas.

Use sketches and concepts as the basis of your design ideas,.

Incorporate brainstorming and other creative idea generation methods when developing concepts. Spider diagrams, word maps or morphological analysis are other methods that can be used in exploring directions.

Copyright clearance needs to be obtained and recorded where necessary.

The initial concepts for the interface design need to be presented to relevant personnel and the client for discussion and feedback.

Plan Approach

Select final design and incorporate the feedback.

Use an appropriate industry standard graphics software that will suit the needs and requirements of the project.

Explore a range of typographical ideas, as well as visual design elements that could be used for the interface design.

Produce User Interface

Use graphics software to develop the structure for user interfaces based on the final design concept.

Source, create and integrate all graphic interactive components.

Apply visual design and communication principles to the development of the user interface.

Ensure that user interfaces meet the principles of user-centred design and relevant standards.

Document styles for text and presentation for use in style sheets and templates or themes.

Save user interfaces in appropriate output format suitable to the technical needs of the project.

Evaluate User Interface

Review the final design to be able to assess effectiveness of the user interface, appropriateness to the user and audience and technical feasibility.

The 5 Planes of a Website Project

Please view the presentation below about the 5 Planes approach by Jesse Garreth when designing a website or other interactive product.

UX Design_Federico Viola

Below is a link to an article from Smashing Magazine which is an excellent overview and introduction to user interfaces. Read it:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-book-1/user-interface-design-in-modern-web-applications/