What I've Learned

Lawrence Najjar
Interaction Designer

Easy is hard. To design and build a simple, intuitive user interface you need a committed client, determined development team, solid process, plus hard work, skills, and time.

User interface design is an art and a science. But it is more an art.

Anyone can design a user interface. Few can design an easy-to-use user interface.

No one gets it right the first time. But more experienced designers get it more right the first time.

To the user, the user interface is the product.

Users are bad designers but good reviewers. Users know their domains really well, but they are not trained designers. Work with users to identify their challenges, needs, and preferences. Listen to their suggestions. Ask them how to organize information. But don't let them design. Instead, ask users to give you feedback on your designs.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Don't show off your team's ability to add fancy new functions to the user interface. Give users only what they need. Users just want to get their work done.

Good design is more effective than good testing. And it is a lot harder to find a good designer than a good tester.

Pictures are better than words. People remember what they see, not what you describe. If you want clients to understand your design, show drawings.

You can do great user research and analysis but clients won't be comfortable until they see the first wireframes.

Initially, visual design trumps interaction design. Over time, interaction design trumps visual design. People react to images, colors, and fonts. But once people begin using an application to get their work done, ease of use becomes paramount.

Several iterative designs of a static, low fidelity user interface are more effective than one version of a dynamic, high fidelity user interface prototype. The key to successful iterative design is the ability to make changes quickly. It is much easier and cheaper to change a static wireframe drawing than a dynamic, coded prototype. Plus, the designer can make the changes rather than a developer. So, iteratively design static, low fidelity wireframes until you get the interaction design right. Then, if possible, work with developers to code an interactive prototype to help sell the design throughout the organization.

No one takes the training. No one reads the Help. Users are busy. Design so that users can get their tasks done without training or assistance. Assume users know their domain but not your application.

Air traffic controllers don't want a "Help" button on their keyboards. But an "Info" button is just fine.

Interaction design, visual design, programming. A person can be great at only one.

Nobody doesn't like blue. Visual designers present to clients user interface alternatives in different colors. But clients often end up choosing the color that bothers the fewest people - and it is usually blue.

Quality lasts.

Lawrence Najjar has been in the user experience design field for 25 years. He designed commercial software applications, the US air traffic controller user interface, wearable computers, and a wide variety of Web applications. Lawrence authored over 50 professional papers and presentations.