WHAT IS USER INTERFACE (UI)?

User interface is a representation of how a user interacts with a computer

program on another device and how the system responds it is an essential
part of ERP software system. An in-appropriate uI back off your work
process and even produce opposition of end-user towards the ERP
software system. Fortunately, ui can be modified any time in an ERP
system with appropriate planning, you can have ui will help you gaining
efficiency in your business as well as suitable for user.

User interface
 THERE ARE FOUR TYPE OF USER INTERFACE :

 Command Line Interface

 Menu-driven Interface
 Graphical User Interface
 Touchscreen Graphical User Interface

1. COMMAND LINE INTERFACE

The command line interface is no longer common as a form of basic

user interface in everyday consumer products, but it is still in use under
certain circumstances. Command Line Interface requires users to type
appropriate instructions into the command line. The computer is
commanded to first go to the required file or directory. From there, a
whole host of commands become available, from retrieving files to
running program.

2. MENU-DRIVEN INTERFACE

The menu-driven user interface provides you with a range of commands

or options in the form of a list or menu displayed in full-screen, pop-up,
pull-down, or drop-down. An ATM is an example of a menu-driven
interface.

3. GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

The graphical user interface, or GUI, is the type of interface with which
the majority of people are the most familiar. You interact with these
interfaces by using a mouse, tack pad or other peripheral to point and
click on graphics or icons.
 TOUCHSCREEN GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

The touchscreen GUI is very similar to the regular GUI, except that you
use your fingers or a stylus to select icons and perform tasks, rather
than a mouse or track pad. Touchscreen GUIs are commonly found on
tablets, smartphones, and medical devices, like the t: slim insulin pump.
The touchscreen GUI has the same benefits and disadvantages as
standard GUIs, but also offers a more intimate method of interaction.
The lack of peripherals makes touchscreen GUIs very convenient.

DESIGNING USER INTERFACES FOR USERS

1. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs)—Users interact with visual

representations on digital control panels. A computer’s desktop is a GUI.
2. Voice-controlled interfaces (VUIs)—Users interact with these through
their voices. Most smart assistants—e.g., Siri on iPhone and Alexa on
Amazon devices—are VUIs.
3. Gesture-based interfaces—Users engage with 3D design spaces
through bodily motions: e.g., in virtual reality (VR) games.

HOW TO MAKE GREAT UIS

To deliver impressive GUIs, remember—users are humans, with needs

such as comfort and a limit on their mental capacities. You should
follow these guidelines:
 1. Make buttons and other common elements perform
predictably (including responses such as pinch-to-zoom) so users can
unconsciously use them everywhere. Form should follow function.
2. Maintain high discoverability. Clearly label icons and include well-
indicated affordances: e.g., shadows for buttons.
3. Keep interfaces simple (with only elements that help serve users’
purposes) and create an “invisible” feel.
4. Respect the user’s eye and attention regarding layout. Focus on
hierarchy and readability:
i. Use proper alignment. Typically choose edge (over center) alignment.
ii. Draw attention to key features using:
 Color, brightness and contrast. Avoid including colors or buttons
excessively.
 Text via font sizes, bold type/weighting, italics, capitals and distance
between letters. Users should pick up meanings just by scanning.
5. Minimize the number of actions for performing tasks but focus on one
chief function per page. Guide users by indicating preferred actions.
Ease complex tasks by using progressive disclosure.
6. Put controls near objects that users want to control. For example, a
button to submit a form should be near the form.
7. Keep users informed regarding system responses/actions with feedback.
8. Use appropriate UI design patterns to help guide users and reduce
burdens (e.g., pre-fill forms). Beware of using dark patterns, which
include hard-to-see prefilled opt-in/opt-out checkboxes and sneaking
items into users’ carts.
9. Maintain brand consistency.
10. Always provide next steps which users can deduce naturally, whatever
their context.
 User Interface Design Process

 Phases

1. User, task, environmental analysis, and modeling:

 Initially, the focus is based on the profile of users who will interact
with the system, i.e. understanding, skill and knowledge, type of user,
etc. based on the user’s profile users are made into categories. From
each category requirements are gathered. Based on the requirements
developer understand how to develop the interface. Once all the
requirements are gathered a detailed analysis is conducted. In the
analysis part, the tasks that the user performs to establish the goals of
 the system are identified, described and elaborated. The analysis of the
user environment focuses on the physical work environment. Among
the questions to be asked are:
 Where will the interface be located physically?
 Will the user be sitting, standing, or performing other tasks unrelated
to the interface?
 Does the interface hardware accommodate space, light, or noise
constraints?
 Are there special human factors considerations driven by
environmental factors?
2. Interface Design: The goal of this phase is to define the set of
interface objects and actions i.e. Control mechanisms that enable the
user to perform desired tasks. Indicate how these control mechanisms
affect the system. Specify the action sequence of tasks and subtasks,
also called a user scenario. Indicate the state of the system when the
user performs a particular task. Always follow the three golden rules
stated by Theo Mandel. Design issues such as response time,
command and action structure, error handling, and help facilities are
considered as the design model is refined. This phase serves as the
foundation for the implementation phase.
3. Interface construction and implementation: The implementation
activity begins with the creation of prototype (model) that enables
usage scenarios to be evaluated. As iterative design process continues
a User Interface toolkit that allows the creation of windows, menus,
device interaction, error messages, commands, and many other
elements of an interactive environment can be used for completing the
construction of an interface.
4. Interface Validation: This phase focuses on testing the interface. The
interface should be in such a way that it should be able to perform
tasks correctly and it should be able to handle a variety of tasks. It
should achieve all the user’s requirements. It should be easy to use and
easy to learn.
 MODELS OF UI
Different models are used in ui.model describe the objects, task; using
models in user interface is helpful to capture user requirements.

 Task model
 User model
 Domain model
 Application model
 Platform model

 Task model.
It is used to describe the task of end users. Task Models describe how to
perform activities to reach users' goals. ... Task models represent the
intersection between user interface design and more systematic
 approaches by providing designers with a means of representing and
manipulating an abstraction of activities that should be performed to
reach user goals.

 User model.
It is used to describe the characteristics of end user and the role they are
playing within an organization.

There are different design patterns for user models, though often a
mixture of them is used.[2][4]

 Static user models

Static user models are the most basic kinds of user models. Once the
main data is gathered they are normally not changed again, they are
static. Shifts in users' preferences are not registered and no learning
algorithms are used to alter the model.

 Dynamic user models

Dynamic user models allow a more up to date representation of users.
Changes in their interests, their learning progress or interactions with
the system are noticed and influence the user models. The models can
thus be updated and take the current needs and goals of the users into
account.

 Stereotype based user models

Stereotype based user models are based on demographic statistics.
Based on the gathered information users are classified into common
stereotypes. The system then adapts to this stereotype. The application
therefore can make assumptions about a user even though there might
be no data about that specific area, because demographic studies have
shown that other users in this stereotype have the same characteristics.
Thus, stereotype based user models mainly rely on statistics and do not
 take into account that personal attributes might not match the
stereotype. However, they allow predictions about a user even if there is
rather little information about him or her.

 Highly adaptive user models

Highly adaptive user models try to represent one particular user and
therefore allow a very high adaptivity of the system. In contrast to
stereotype based user models they do not rely on demographic
statistics but aim to find a specific solution for each user. Although users
can take great benefit from this high adaptivity, this kind of model
needs to gather a lot of information first.

 Domain model.
Define the object that a user can view and access and manipulate
through user interface. The Domain Model is your organized and
structured knowledge of the problem. The Domain Model should
represent the vocabulary and key concepts of the problem domain and
it should identify the relationships among all of the entities within the
scope of the domain

 Application model.
Commands and data the application provide. An application model is a
graphical representation of a business or IT application, and the
relationship of the infrastructure components (that is, devices and
groups) that are required to support or provide functionality to the
application.
 Platform model.
Used to model the physical devices that are intended to host the
application and how they interact with each other. A platform is a
business model that creates value by facilitating exchanges
between two or more interdependent groups, usually consumers and
producers. In order to make these exchanges happen, platforms harness
and create large, scalable networks of users and resources that can be
accessed on demand.

Platform model

UI vs. User Experience (UX) Design

Often confused with UX design, UI design is more concerned with the

surface and overall feel of a design. UI design is a craft where you the
designer build an essential part of the user experience. UX design covers
the entire spectrum of the user experience. One analogy is to picture UX
design as a car with UI design as the driving console.