70-526 MCTS
Configure controls on a Windows Form at run time to ensure that the UI complies with best practices
A well designed UI allows ease of use and a faster learning curve of an application.
Consider the two following UIs; the first one is not very easy on the eyes and is laid out in a poor manner. The second one has a standard interface layout using the Windows System colours and is easy to follow.
Figure 1 - Poorly designed
Figure 2 - Well designed
There are four primary principles that can be used to create a good UI.
Simplicity
When designing a UI keep it simple. If the interface is too crowded, or overly complex, then learning how to use the application will be hard. This may lead to a loss of productivity and eventually the user abandoning the application for one which is easier to use. The UI should allow a user to just see what is needed to complete a task and nothing more. A good example of this is the toolbars in any wordprocessor; they have a set of defined tasks, and can be switched on or off when needed.
When designing a UI, it is a good idea to think of the program flow that a user may need. These can be identified by Use Cases within the software requirements for your application. Program flow can be controlled using more than one Form, tabbed Forms, or grouping controls logically using containers.
Whenever possible, enter default values in controls such as list and combo boxes to aid the user to fill out forms quickly.
Positioning of Controls
A control's position on a form should reflect its importance to the user. If a form requires data to be entered, then the required fields need to be made more prominent than those fields which are optional data. This philosophy is often seen on the web by an asterisk next to those fields which are required when filing out online forms.
Related data should be grouped in some manner, so that it is easily identifiable. Similarly OK and Cancel buttons, should be located towards the bottom of a form, so that the user is drawn to them once they have completed whatever is required of them
Consistency
A consistent look throughout an application puts the end user at ease and once again makes the application easier to use. Forms should all be of the same layout, sticking where possible to layouts used on standard applications that the user is used to.
Aesthetics
The application should be pleasant to look at. Clarity and simplicity should not be sacrificed to obtain a cool looking application, as the majority of user may be put off.
A few good pointers are:
MSDN references
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