Book

Bennett, K. B. and Flach, J. M. (2011). Display and Interface Design: Subtle Science, Exact Art. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

This book has received very good reviews [click here for details]

This is a book about design. How do we go about harnessing the potential (far too often unrealized) that is provided by technological advances in hardware and software? How do we go about designing devices that are both powerful and easy to use?

The reason that good interfaces (and therefore good devices) are few and far between is really quite simple: they are extremely difficult to design and build properly.

Building a good interface requires knowledge and expertise in multiple disciplines: the domain itself, the humans (psychology) and machines (engineering, artificial intelligence) who make decisions in that domain and the virtual ecology through which they work in the domain (interface design -- human factors, and implementation -- computer science).

Cognitive systems engineering and ecological interface design provide a comprehensive framework for analysis, design and evaluation that can guide these efforts. Ecological psychology provides insights regarding kind of interface solutions that are likely to be effective.

The goal of the book is to provide “first principles of design” as opposed to specific guidance (“cook books”) or secondary design concerns (e.g., alternative menu designs).

The analytical tools and principles of design (e.g., direct perception, direct manipulation, visual momentum) described in the book are general and powerful, but very abstract. Therefore concrete examples of their use in a variety of domains of application is provided.

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Bennett and Flach (2011).