Advanced GUI Design Workshop
Applying New Technologies to the Interface

by James Hobart

Washington, DC, September 24-25, 1997

About This Seminar

This two-day seminar is the natural next step to GUI training. This class is designed to teach even the most senior GUI developer tips, tricks, and helpful hints to ensure a more effective user interface. Upon completion of the seminar, attendees will be able to discuss advanced principles of GUI design, identify the components of an effective GUI, and apply solid GUI design principles for complex applications. In addition, attendees will work on complex problems and apply Rapid Application Development (RAD) techniques. This seminar will also address emerging technologies such as pen, voice and mobile applications and how they impact the effectiveness of the user interface.

Benefits of this Seminar

At the end of this course attendees will be able to:

• Web-enable existing GUIs into Cross Platform Intranet sites

• Develop complex GUIs for mixed user profiles

• Effectively use Multimedia

• Use Cue Cards and Wizards to reduce training and support costs

• Design techniques for international deployment

• Use objects to create a more flexible interface

• Perform "cheap and efficient" usability inspection techniques

• Design applications for international deployment

Benefits To Your Company

• Reduce training and supports costs

• Reduce development time by using proven design techniques

• Gain knowledge on how to create Task centric vs. Data centric designs

• Reduce coding efforts by learning practical GUI re-use strategies

• Achieve higher end-user satisfaction through deployment of a consistent look and feel

• Effectively evaluate packaged and in-house software for usability

• Reduce deployment costs by web-enabling your existing applications

Who Should Attend

• Intermediate or advanced corporate or commercial programmers and analysts who are, or plan to be, involved in GUI projects.

• Project Managers who need to know what it takes to create a complex GUI application.

• Systems Architects who need to know how to deploy a GUI application across platforms or internationally.

• Project Leaders who need to know how to evaluate and mentor team members on advanced GUI design techniques.

• End-users concerned with developing well-designed GUIs or gathering user requirements.

Seminar Outline

1. Windows Design

a. Review basic GUI
b. Identify new advanced controls
c. Learn appropriate use of new controls

i. Grid
ii. Tab / Notebook
iii. Multimedia Controls
iv. Rich Text / Hypertext
v. Tree / Outlines
vi. Column Headings
vii. 3D usage techniques

d. Review examples of good vs. Bad use of each control
Lab: Design a GUI based on advanced controls

2. Object-Oriented Interfaces

a. Application-centric vs. Task centric
b. Objects in the interface
c. Object Persistence
d. Object relationships
e. Mapping user task models to Object metaphors
f. Inside-out vs. Outside-in activation
g. Creating an object-oriented metaphor
h. Review examples of effective Object Oriented GUIs
Lab: Create an object-oriented interface

3. Advanced Design Principles

a. Navigational Layout
b. Appropriate screen layout
c. High-speed Data Entry techniques

i. Form-based data entry
ii. Grid based data entry
iii. Switching between data entry and inquiry

d. Progressive Disclosure
e. Review examples of effective data entry and inquiry
f. Appropriate white-space and other layout issues

i. Orientation
ii. Alignment
iii. Button Placement
iv. Control spacing
Lab: Correct a GUIs based on design principles

4. User Assistance Techniques

a. Learn techniques for implementing:

i. Wizards
ii. Cue cards
iii. Expert-mode
iv. Tool-tips
v. Computer-based tutorials
vi. Task help
vii. Adaptive Entry

b. Learn when to use and when to avoid each technique
Lab: Create appropriate user assistance techniques

5. Usability Testing and Inspections

a. Learn about “discount usability engineering”
b. Identify Usability test vs. Usability inspection

i. Heuristic
ii. Peer Walkthroughs
iii. Cognitive methods
iv. Observation methods

c. Learn when each technique is effective
d. Learn how to conduct an effective Usability inspection

i. Identify participants
ii. Setting appropriate goals
iii. Managing the test cycles

e. How to apply the usability testing techniques
Lab: Perform a usability inspection

6. International GUI Design

a. Localization design tips

i. Keyboard shortcuts
ii. Sound and color
iii. Issues with “growing text”

b. Creating an effective deployment strategy

i. Identifying major deployment groups
ii. using the “Sim-ship” method

c. Graphics for international use

i. Special considerations for icons and graphics

7. Designing for Complex Applications

a. Designing for mixed user profiles

i. Different user types and profiles
ii. Systems metaphors for each user profile

b. Integrating the GUI with legacy systems

i. Switching between legacy system and the GUI
ii. GUI migration strategies

c. Identify and review different types of complex systems
Lab: Create a navigational model for a complex GUI

8. Emerging Technologies

a. Identify new technologies for Multimedia
b. Hardware/Software Considerations
c. Voice-based systems
d. Pen-based design tips

i. Gestures
ii. Handwriting recognition
iii. Pen-based design approaches

e. Animation vs. Multimedia

i. When to use multimedia and when to avoid it
ii. Multimedia and animation pros/cons

Lab: User emerging technologies to create a GUI

9. Web-based Development

a. Overview of Web-technologies
b. Internet vs. Intranet design tips

i. Design differences
ii. Use of standards
iii. Using third party controls and plug-ins
iv. Transactional speed issues

c. Migrating your client/server systems to the web

i. Maintaining a “virtual connection”
ii. Connecting to your databases
iii. Security issues
iv. GUI design tips for consistency and speed on the Intranet

About Your Instructor

James Hobart is a senior consultant on the West Coast. He specializes in the design and development of large scale, high-volume client/server applications. He is an expert in GUI design for transaction processing systems and strategies for migration from character based systems. Mr. Hobart has over 12 years of software development experience and over 6 years of GUI application design experience. Jim Hobart was chief GUI architect for a leading financial institution. Mr. Hobart has assisted in the design and implementation of systems for several Fortune 500 corporations.

Meeting Site and Hotel Information

Washington, DC, September 24-25, 1997
Georgetown Conference Center
(202) 687-3200

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Advanced GUI Design Workshop
Applying New Technologies to the Interface

$995

Attend this seminar and GUI Design Workshop--Designing Effective User Interfaces and SAVE $395!

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