Good UI and about human-computer, human-mobile interactions.

Designing a thoughtful and effective layout of our application or system is related to the guidelines for computer-computer interaction, i.e. Human-Computer Interaction, and in the case of human-mobile device interaction - Human-Mobile Interaction.

After a thorough analysis of the term usability in the previous article, it should now be considered in the context of using it in mobile devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet. To that end, here's another term: functionality. It is a set of actions that can be performed by users under certain conditions. These two terms in the context of Human-Mobile Interaction are closely related, because the right balance between usability and functionality ensures the effectiveness of the system. There are several principles that should be followed when creating an effective application interface.

First of all - the user is always in the center. Understanding the target audience of our product is crucial for UI designers. Adjusting the layout to the group of people who will use this solution has a huge impact on the final effect of the application or system. Colors, size of buttons, components, language we will use - all this contributes to the universal acceptance of our product.

Another rule concerns the size of the icons, buttons on the phone / tablet screen. It is a bad practice to minimize them as this creates problems in terms of functionality. The finger that clicks on the screen attributes is the thumb, i.e. the thickest of the fingers. It is related to the Fat Finger Principle, which explains what finger movements are natural, what size buttons / icons should be and what are the consequences of their wrong placement and the use of inappropriate sizes.

The third guideline is the unified design of the application. For this purpose, it is worth creating a design system, thanks to which we will take care of the aesthetic appearance of individual screens and will not make users embarrassed when using it.

This principle is related to the next one, consistency. The development process can trigger the need to design something completely new that no one has implemented in applications before. In the opinion of experts, this is not a good procedure, because if something works and does not cause problems, you should not force it to change. Users get used to the available solutions, it is difficult for them to adapt again. An example of being consistent is, for example, using the same icons as in competing applications. Their appearance depends on the operating system, but nevertheless they are similar and there are no major problems with identifying them. It is also important to use only one icon for the assigned function. The use of different types of back arrows or different sizes and shapes of buttons confuses people using the application.

In order to ensure the user's comfort, it is worth using references to things known to him in projects, e.g. the trash can icon suggests that when you click it, a file will be deleted, and the envelope icon suggests moving to the screen from which you can send a message or e-mail.

When designing the application, it should be remembered that each user click or action requires a reaction from the system. The user should be informed at every step about the activities performed or the changes that take place.

It is a good practice to facilitate some tasks for recipients by automatic word or sentence suggestions or quick selection of the most frequently typed phrases. Avoid complex sentence forms or words that have an explanatory function. The message should be clear and clear.

Also, for easier navigation through our system, it is worth minimizing the number of steps that need to be taken to achieve the goal. Each screen should be used primarily for one specific activity. Separate the main functions of the system with successive screens so as not to create unnecessary confusion.

The user wants to feel in control of the system and know that if an error occurs it is not his fault but the fault of the system. By introducing knobs that can be used to control, for example, the volume, the user will have a feeling of managing the system. If there are any errors, inform him about them and suggest possible solutions to the problem.

Bearing in mind the above rules or the proposed solutions, remember that we will not be able to design an application / website that will suit all recipients. You should keep in the back of your head that it is enough to create something that only the majority will like - then we can talk about success. Of course, when designing our products, we try to follow the current trends, test solutions already available and analyze them ourselves in terms of usability and good design.