Basics Of User Interface (UI) Design: “Principles, Trends, and Best Practices”
What is User Interface (UI)
- UI stands for User Interface and is everything the user interacts with. These can be tangible, visual, or even audible.
- The graphical user interface, or GUI, involves using graphics for a more pleasing and simplified look
- In the 70’s, users could only use the command line and often needed to know some programming, to interact with the UI
- GUI’s took over in the 80s after creation at Xerox PARC, and greatly expanded the usability of computers. Apple’s first computer, using a GUI, helped give rise to personal computing, and eventually to the move from just offices into the home.
- UI is continuing to evolve, moving into cars, televisions, speakers and even refrigerators.
User Interface Design Types
Frequently, user interfaces are categorized as native, responsive, or hybrid.
Different screen sizes and orientations are accounted for by responsive design, including the distinction between tablets and phones, as well as landscape and portrait modes.
The term “native” is frequently applied to mobile applications that are designed exclusively for a particular operating system or device.
Combining these methods makes hybrid applications compatible with both the web and mobile devices. The performance of hybrid applications is typically inferior to that of native applications due to the additional layer of code separation between the source code and the target platform.
User Interface Design Trends
Skeuomorphic design
The Skeuomorphic design is a design approach that uses visual elements to mimic real-world objects or materials. For example, a skeuomorphic music player app might have buttons that look like real cassette tapes or vinyl records.
The skeuomorphic design was popular in the early days of mobile computing, as it helped users learn and use new apps by leveraging their existing knowledge of physical objects. However, skeuomorphic design can also be seen as cluttered and outdated, and it has fallen out of favor in recent years.
Flat design
Flat design is a design approach that uses simple, two-dimensional shapes and icons without attempting to mimic real-world objects or materials. Flat design became popular in the early 2010s, as it was seen as a more modern and minimalist approach to design.
Flat design is often used in conjunction with bright colors and bold typography to create visually appealing and engaging interfaces. However, flat design can also be seen as sterile and uninviting, and it has been criticized for lacking depth and realism.
Flat 2.0
Flat 2.0 is a design approach that combines the best elements of skeuomorphic design and flat design. It uses simple, two-dimensional shapes and icons, but it also incorporates subtle shadows and highlights to create a more realistic and immersive experience.
Flat 2.0 design is often used in mobile apps and websites that require a high level of user engagement, such as games and social media platforms. It is also a good choice for apps that need to be both visually appealing and informative, such as news apps and educational apps.
Some of the most popular User Interface Design trends in 2023 :
Bold typography: Typography is playing an increasingly important role in UI design. Designers are using bold, expressive fonts to create more visually appealing and engaging interfaces.
Neumorphism: Neumorphism is a soft, subtle design style that is inspired by skeuomorphism and flat design. It uses subtle shadows and highlights to create the illusion of depth and realism.
Glassmorphism: Glassmorphism is another design trend that is gaining popularity. It uses translucent glass elements to create a more modern and sophisticated look.
Motion design: Motion design is being used to add more dynamism and interactivity to UIs. This can include animations, transitions, and micro-interactions.
Dark mode: Dark mode is a popular UI trend that uses a dark color palette to reduce eye strain and improve battery life.
Accessibility: Designers are increasingly focused on creating accessible UIs that can be used by people with disabilities. This includes using high-contrast colors, large fonts, and clear labels.
UI VS UX VS Graphics Design
UI, UX and Graphic Design are all interrelated, yet not exactly synonyms of each other. The UI Designer helps build digital user interfaces, as well as helping to create style guides and design systems. UX Designers focus more on the holistic experience, solving problems, designing the right user flow, and focusing on user delight. Graphic Designers, originally from the print industry, focus on how things will look, including items like icons, colors, fonts, etc.
UI Designer
Focuses on information architecture — such as how elements are arranged on a page, why they are there and how clearly that is all communicated to the user.
UX Designer
Focus on the holistic experience, identifying a problem, what it will take to solve it, iterating & refining user flows and the overall user’s journey to a delightful experience.
Graphics Designer
Decide how things are going to look, make icons, choose colors, patterns, and font pairings.
Bruce Tognazzini’s 4 first principles of interaction design
Levels of Consistency:
Make sure that the look and feel of each screen is the same, and make sure that things like menu bars are always in the same place.
Discoverability:
Making sure that the things a user needs to finish a job are visible, easy to find, and available when they need them. This can be made a lot easier with user testing.
Readability:
Text should have a high contrast, be at a size that can be seen easily on the device that the user has chosen, and the most important terms should come first in the menu items.
Simplicity:
A user interface should be easy to use without losing important functions. Users should gain from things being simple. Users only see complicated things when they need them.
Typography
We’ve talked about 3 elements of typography:
Kerning is the space between individual letters. Good kerning can make a text more readable and visually appealing. Poor kerning can make a text look cluttered and unprofessional.
Leading is the space between lines of text. Too much leading can make a text look sparse and difficult to read. Too little leading can make a text look cramped and overwhelming.
Font pairings is the process of choosing two or more fonts to use together in a design. Good font pairings can create a sense of harmony and balance. Poor font pairings can make a design look cluttered and unprofessional.
Design Systems
some common design systems, atomic design, navigation systems, and style guides.
Design System
A design system serves as a north star for a project, collecting all the aspects that enable a team to develop a design. It can grow and evolve over time with more assets & components.
Atomic design
Atoms, being the smallest, then molecules, then , then templates, and finally pages.
Atoms are things like colors, icons, type, and form components.
Molecules are things like buttons and input fields in a form you fill out.
Organisms are things like nav bars and forms.
Navigation Systems in User Interface Design
Navigation systems are essential for any website or app. They help users find their way around and complete the tasks they need to do. There are a variety of different navigation systems that can be used, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Hamburger Menus
Hamburger menus, also known as three-line menus, are a popular choice for mobile websites and apps. They are compact and easy to use, and they can be used to display a large number of navigation options without taking up too much screen space.
One of the main advantages of hamburger menus is that they can be used to save space on small screens. However, they can also be difficult to use, especially for users who are not familiar with them. Additionally, hamburger menus can be difficult to find, especially on websites that have a lot of content.
Mega Menus
Mega menus are large drop-down menus that can be used to display a large number of navigation options. They are often used on desktop websites, where there is more screen space available.
One of the main advantages of mega menus is that they can be used to display a large number of navigation options in a single place. This can make it easier for users to find the information they are looking for. However, mega menus can also be cluttered and difficult to navigate. Additionally, they can take up a lot of screen space, which can be a problem on smaller screens.
Call to Action Buttons
Call-to-action buttons are buttons that encourage users to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase. They are often placed in prominent locations on websites and apps, and they are often used in conjunction with other navigation elements.
One of the main advantages of call to action buttons is that they are clear and concise. They tell users exactly what to do and make it easy for them to take action. However, call to action buttons can also be annoying if they are used too often or if they are not relevant to the user’s needs.
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a trail of links that show a user’s current location on a website or app. They are often placed at the top of a page or screen, and they can be used to help users navigate back to previous pages.
One of the main advantages of breadcrumbs is that they can help users to stay oriented on a website or app. They can also be used to help users navigate back to previous pages without having to use the back button. However, breadcrumbs can also be confusing if they are not used correctly. For example, if a breadcrumb trail is too long, it can be difficult for users to follow. Additionally, breadcrumbs can be difficult to see on small screens.
Advantages and Disadvantages of User Interface Design Menus
Hamburger Menus
- Advantage: Can be activated when needed
- Disadvantage: Hides potentially important menu items from the user
Mega Menus
- Advantage: Robust and can hold a lot of menu items
- Disadvantage: Danger of cognitive load on the user
Call to action buttons
- Advantage: Focuses user to one clear goal / destination
- Disadvantage: This could go wrong with poor Copywriting
Breadcrumbs
- Advantage: Allows users to know where they came from
- Disadvantage: Doesn’t work well for large menu sets
Style guides
A style guide is a part of a design system that focuses on elements such as: icons, color, typography, and graphics.
Style Guides, which are often part of a larger design system, help to facilitate better discussion with development and keep styling consistent across elements like fonts, colors, typography, and graphics.
Check Style Guides Tool: Stylify Me