Deep Analysis of User Interfaces

An article by webNivaran    1 Comment

Several questions pop up now and then: Why is the Start button on the bottom-left? Who decides where the close button goes, and why must we use these little boxes called “windows”, when we maximize them to fit our desktops anyway? But it was 4 am; we were sleep-deprived, and had deadlines.

But the questions still remain. How do interfaces work for us, and why in heaven’s name do we actually enjoy some of them?

The Science

Yes, there’s actual science at work here, and it dictates both the way user interfaces (UIs) are laid out, and how they become enjoyable.

The Law

All interfaces — more specifically, the ones that require pointing — start with a mathematical model called Fitts’s Law (some people will tell you it’s Fitt’s law, or Fitts’ law). They are wrong. The law describes the time to acquire a target (that is, be able to click on a button, hyperlink, or menu item) as a function of the distance to it, and the size of the target. You can test this right now: if your mouse cursor is in the middle of your screen, it’ll take you less time to reach an icon that’s closer — obviously. If you turn on Large Desktop Icons, you’ll be able to hit those icons faster — by milliseconds, of course, but those add up.

Read More….