In the years since Jakob Nielsen's classic collection on
interface consistency first appeared, much has changed, and
much has stayed the same. On the one hand, there's been
exponential growth in the opportunities for following or
disregarding the principles of interface consistency-more
computers, more applications, more users, and of course the
vast expanse of the Web. On the other, there are the
principles themselves, as persistent and as valuable as
ever.
In these contributed chapters, you'll find details on
many methods for seeking and enforcing consistency, along
with bottom-line analyses of its benefits and some warnings
about its possible dangers. Most of what you'll learn
applies equally to hardware and software development, and
all of it holds real benefits for both your organization
and your users.
Features
- Begins with a new preface by the collection's
distinguished editor.
- Details a variety of methods for attaining interface
consistency, including central control, user definitions,
exemplary applications, shared code, and model
analysis.
- Presents a cost-benefits analysis of organizational
efforts to promote and achieve consistency.
- Examines and appraises the dimensions of
consistency-consistency within an application, across a
family of applications, and beyond.
- Makes the case for some unexpected benefits of
interface consistency while helping you avoid the risks it
can sometimes entail.
- Considers the consistency of interface elements other
than screen design.
- Includes case studies of major corporations that have
instituted programs to ensure the consistency of their
products.
Contents
Preface
Preface to the First Printing
List of Contributors
1. Executive Summary: Coordinating User Interfaces by
Jakob Nielsen
2. The Dimensions of Consistency by Wendy A. Kellogg
3. A Cost Benefit Analysis for Corporate User Interface
Standards: What Price to Pay for a Consistent "Look and
Feel"? by Daniel Rosenberg
4. Coordinating Consistency of User Interfaces, Code,
Online Help, and Documentation with
Multilingual/Multitarget Software Specification by Gary
Perlman
5. Achieving Consistency for the Macintosh by Bruce
Tognazzini
6. Developing the XUI Style by Michael Good
7. Consistency as Process by Richard Wolf
8. New Ways to Consistent Interfaces by Ianne Howards
Koritzinsky
9. Tools for Generating Consistent User Interfaces by
Charles Wiecha, William Bennett, Stephen Boies, and John
Gould
Bibliography
Index