Friendly Interface for Your Website. Part 2.

To be predictable.

In some situations, the predictability can be the boring and uninteresting characteristic, but only not concerning the interface. The user, having looked at this or that element of the interface has to understand at once how it will work in case of interaction. If an object looks as the menu, it has to work as the menu if it is similar to the slider, then respectively it has to move something. Creativity of thinking – is, of course, a good thing, but not in case of interface.

Example of design of the interface of the program player. The top buttons ("previous" — "play"— "next") have to perform these functions, and the toddler to change loudness level.

One of the greatest fears of designers is to be considered as a stereotyped. Therefore they often avoid to use the technics which are checked for efficiency for a long time and work, in favor of creation "something new and creative". It is not necessary to be engaged in open plagiarism, of course, but to use models of the interface already familiar to users is a certain way to make it predictable. What resources are used most often by your target audience? Facebook, LiveJournal, Twitter, Amazon, YouTube? Use the similar style in your interface so people could feel in a habitual situation. For example, if you are guided by YouTube, make the main menu vertical and place it at the left of pages, place a search box on the top at the center.

Use the similar style in your interface so people could feel in a habitual situation.

To be minimalistic.

Trying to place in the interface as many categories as possible, the menu, buttons, etc., you will only do it a huge harm. Too cluttered interface is a big obstacle to its understanding by the user. Everything that can be described by one phrase, shouldn't be described by three ones. Excess elements and subcategories on the homepage are not necessary. You can define what is "superfluous" and what is not, by testing. On the other hand it is not necessary to sacrifice something that is really important – if you know that without some explanations or the additional button it will be difficult to user to understand the sense, then place them in the interface, but make it most laconically.

To be loaded quickly.

Slow loading of the interface will irritate and push away the user, causing in the increasing hostility to a resource. Make sure that the speed of loading is optimum for its comfortable usage. In fact it is matched with the previous point – the less on the website of "heavy" elements, the quicker it is loaded.

To show all important options.

It is better to use the drop-down lists and the menu only when it cannot be avoided. In other cases try to show to the user all his opportunities at once. If a part of possible actions is hidden, the user would not guess where he or she needs to press to perform a certain action. And if these actions are of the main target ("to buy goods", "to make the order"), then they should not be hidden in drop-down menus at all, and on the contrary, place on them particular emphasis.

The example of drop-down menu can have the right for life is below. At guidance of the cursor subsections in sections of the menu are opened, and it is quite convenient.