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Design TidbitsUpdated: 11/07/2008 The Design Tidbits offer a growing selection of articles centered around UI and graphic design. Recent AdditionsHuman Performance at the Computer – Part 2: Making Applications More Responsive
Human Performance at the Computer – Part 3: Perceived Performance
Human Performance at the Computer – Part 4: On the Way to Performance-Oriented UI Guidelines
Human Performance at the Computer – Part 1: Introduction
Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 3
Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 2
Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 1
Golden Rules for Bad User Interfaces
User Interface Controls and Interaction Techniques of Horror
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11/07/2008:
In this article, our author focuses on the aspect of improving system
responsiveness. He points out that the challenge here is to find ways
of reducing the waiting times for users even when processes are still
running. He also shows that responsiveness is by no means a purely
technical topic, because waiting times also impact users in certain
ways. The article lists recommendations for making applications more
responsive and concludes with discussing how control can be returned
to users in the best possible way.
11/07/2008:
In this article, our author focuses on perceived performance. He takes
a look at the factors that influence how users perceive the system's
and their own performance, and presents approaches to improving perceived
performance. 
10/14/2008:
In the second article (even though named part 4...), our author
focuses on improving the users' performance. He points out that user
interface design plays a critical role in this endeavor and proposes
to establish "performance-oriented" guidelines, which support
UI designers and help them to improve the user's performance – or,
at least, prevent them from degrading it.
10/14/2008:
In previous articles, our author has discussed human performance at
the computer and distinguished between three aspects of performance:
system performance, system responsiveness, and human performance. There,
he pointed out that in order to improve the overall performance of
the human-computer system, all three aspects need to be optimized.
In this series of four articles, he picks up the topic of human performance
at the computer, includes new insights, and discusses performance-related
issues that can be approached by UI designers.
10/14/2008:
In the third and final article of the series on system feedack, our
author finally focuses on the important questions under which conditions
and at which point in time the different types of feedback should be
given.
09/19/2008:
In the second part of this short series of three articles, our author
looks at different types of feedback that can be given in the event
of a delay: Immediate feedback and different forms of busy feedback,
such as busy indicator feedback, working indicator feedback, as well
as informed feedback, such as progress bars and system messages.
06/23/2008:
In a short series of three articles, our author would like to discuss
a "performance issue," namely, the "worst-case" scenario:
Provided that further technical optimization is not possible and users
have to wait at the computer for a certain amount of time, what can
developers and designers do to make the waiting more tolerable for
users?
Updated
06/04/2008: People like to do just the opposite of what
one is proposing. Therefore, we thought that it might be a good idea
to promote bad user interface design and collect "Golden Rules
for Bad User Interfaces" – please help yourself (and do
the opposite). We started this page with ten rules and are continually
expanding our collection.
03/13/2008:
We would like to start a collection of "controls and techniques
of horror," that is, a selection of user interface controls and
interaction techniques that terrorize users in a number of ways – be
it that they annoy them, steal their time, mislead them, or whatever.
We begin the collection with five examples, hoping that it will grow
over time.