What's in an Interface?
by Heather Champ
In the final moments of Dante's Peak when the mountain is about to blow, our hero turns on the monitor in the research station, which has been abandoned by his associates to see the final outcome of the volcano computer model. Eruption is imminent, and this is "delicately" highlighted by a series of large flashing arrows pointing at the peak.Interface ElementsIs this really the interface that one would expect to see as a precise, scientific representation of danger? Or rather just a whimsical display? It's a common theme in movies to glamorize a user interface because in truth the reality is rather dull. "The Net" and "Hackers" had a plethora of groovy telnet, chat, and other interfaces that, although possible, were quite unusual. In addition to this glamorization there seems to be a tendency to simplify or dumb-down the elements.
Interactivity by Design: Creating & Communication with New Media [Adobe Press, 1995] identifies basic interface elements such as the background, windows and panels, buttons and controls, images, text, video, sound, and animation. "A good interface is a construction kit: a set of elements that fit together like building blocks and can be moved and reused in many different combinations. When these elements are assembled into a family of screens, they work together to produce a coherent interface."
Developing the interface architecture and the look and feel of the icons or buttons that will represent the navigation can be like an intricate tango. Designers and developers want to push the envelope, acting on knowledge that is gained by earlier projects, but their aims are in competition with those of clients who would prefer that users arrive at the pearl of their site with as little trouble as possible. This is rather a gross generalization, and it's just as likely that the roles could be reversed.
Perhaps there is a mythical beast, a first-time user who manages to hook up modem, achieve connectivity, and land smack bang in the middle of a client's site for his or her first-time Web experience. What's more, there is a plethora of these newbies who surf diligently to topple complex interfaces. This is not to say that designers and developers sit around weaving chaotically complex labyrinths as that would defeat the purpose.
I had to chuckle when I skimmed through the March issue of Wired to persue the Jargon Watch on page 84. The first term elicited a snicker: "CHA--Short for 'click here asshole.' Refers to oversimplified navigation hints created for computer users who are assumed to be stupid."There is a delicate balance that designers strive for: fulfill the requirements of being easy to navigate while at the same time be sophisticated enough to retain an air of mystery.
