Topic outline

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  General

  

  • Unit forum
  • Time: 4 hours
    Level: Advanced

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  Topic 1

  Introduction

  • Introduction Page
  • Why is the way something looks important? Text, colour, images, moving images and sound all interact to produce a user friendly environment within a user interface. This unit will help you understand the...
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  Topic 2

  1 Getting the best from interaction devices

  • 1 Getting the best from interaction devices Page
  • Once we have chosen an interaction device for a user interface, we need to consider how to use it effectively. We have relatively little control over the appearance or use of input devices, so we concentrate...
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  Topic 3

  2 Text

  • 2.1 The role of text Page
  • Text is the dominant component in most education and training software, and on many websites. It also plays a central role in standard software applications such as word processors and spreadsheets. It...
  • 2.1.1 The characteristics of text Page
  • Text has a number of technical advantages over other media.
  • 2.3 How to use text to good effect Page
  • Two aspects of the use of text are:
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  Topic 4

  3 Colour

  • 3.1 The role of colour Page
  • We can use colour in the following ways.
  • 3.2 The characteristics of colour Page
  • Screens can only display a subset of the colours visible to the human eye. This limits the accuracy of colour reproduction. There is also variation between computers, so a web page on a PC may look different...
  • 3.3 Choosing colours with the right connotations Page
  • When you use a colour, you should think about what it is likely to mean to the people who look at it, as colours can have different connotations. Colours can even make people feel different. For example,...
  • 3.4 How to use colour to good effect Page
  • The effective use of colour is a complex and technical area. In Table 2 we have listed some general guidelines.
  • 3.5 Using colour to represent information Page
  • All UIs need to communicate information. Colour can be particularly effective for this. Table 4 summarises some of the techniques that are available.
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  Topic 5

  4 Images

  • 4.1 The role of images Page
  • We can use images in several ways.
  • 4.2 Using images to good effect Page
  • The following are the main types of image.
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  Topic 6

  5 Moving images

  • 5.1 Different types of moving image Page
  • On paper, you can show movement by a series of diagrams each with a very small change. Figure 9 illustrates such a scenario. This has its uses, as it allows the process to be studied very carefully.
  • 5.2 Using animation to good effect Page
  • You can use animation for the following purposes.
  • 5.3 Using video clips to good effect Page
  • You can use video clips in many of the situations where you could use animation. However, video has the following additional uses.
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  Topic 7

  6: Sound

  • 6.1 The role of sound Page
  • The use of sound is becoming increasingly common, particularly for the following types of application.
  • 6.2 Different types of sound Page
  • Sounds come in four categories.
  • 6.3 Using sound effects to good effect Page
  • Sound effects can communicate information in a variety of ways. In particular, they can do the following.
  • 6.4 Using music to good effect Page
  • Music in UIs is relatively undeveloped, except in games and specialist packages designed for composers and musicians.
  • 6.5 Using speech to good effect Page
  • Speech output is a powerful way of communicating information. It has particular benefits for the visually impaired. For those whose eyesight is good, speaking lifts may seem a novelty, but they provide...
  • 6.6 Problems with the use of sound Page
  • Pre-recorded digitised speech can be included in a UI relatively easily, but generating speech is harder. One of the methods for synthesising speech is called concatenation. The idea behind concatenation...
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  Topic 8

  References and Acknowledgements

  • References Page
  • Acknowledgements Page