Web User Interface Design Principals Term Paper

Web User Interface Design Principals - Term Paper Example Web user interface designing is therefore the process of creating or improving the visual and utility of a website by making it user friendly. This is achieved by making the website contain the following principals: user friendly, this is when the user enjoys using the interface due to ease in utility; simple memorization, the user is able to remember how to use the structure of the site ease after a period of time without using the interface; reliable, the interface can easily meet users' needs with minimal effort and resources; efficient, the user goals are meet within the shortest time possible through easy understandable instructions; useful, the can achieve his needs in a comprehensive and systematic way; learning ability, this principle basically answers the question how easy is it for the user to understand the basics (Miller, 2011). These principles are achieved through a well set up engineering design systems. This therefore brings us to the subject of discussion in this pap er and that is system design engineering. System design engineering involves design, construction and maintenance of large software systems. The first stage involves project management methodology. It is this methodology that is used to create web interface programs/ websites (Duyne, 2003). The main aim of coming up with a methodology is to concentrate on the design phases and analysis and this trickles down to reduced development and production cost. Web design methodologies are categorized into five and these are: Waterfall, Structure System Analysis and Design Method (SSADM), Prototyping, Rapid Application Development (RAD), Incremental Prototyping. According to Bean (2009), the water fall method contains a series of connected stages that cover the development process with the smallest level of redundant instruction between each stage. The disadvantage of this method is that its structures are rigid and lack iteration between any stages that are not adjacent. The web is rapidly g rowing structure therefore any method used in web site development must be highly versatile. The Structure Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM), is method designed to develop fairly large websites. This method concentrates on the design and analysis stages with the aim of reducing errors that might arise later. Prototyping is used in the development of interactive applications whereby the visual layout is important than the utility process of the system. The major problem of this method is that the user adds components on the prototype that are not part of the original system requirement thus the project is in constant state of prototype. Secondly it involves a large coverage of users; this raises the concern in defining a set of users to analyze the prototype (Garrett, 2011). The Rapid Application Development (RAD) method is a form of prototyping that contains numerous minute prototypes that make a large system and are deleted once they have been analyzed. Finally there is th e Incremental Prototyping, which allows development of large systems in stages. The systems are developed to completion first and then other minor entities are added to the system later. This method is mostly used by web designers because it is highly dynamic and it supports website growth in terms of functionality and size. The incremental method therefore helps manage website sprawl.† These are considered to be the traditional methods of web designing (Powell, 2000). It is now the designers mandate to choose which web system methodology that suits the needs of the project he