What are the types of UI design?
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A user interface provides a way of communication between a user and a computer. A user can interact with the computer through an interface by giving inputs and receiving results from the system. A user interface design is the representation of user interfaces for some software.
Types of UI design
Following are the various types of UI design.
Command line interface design
A command line interface (CLI) design represents a text-based interface. It allows users to interact with the computer by using commands. Commands are a pre-defined set of operations that the computer can understand. The user has to type in these commands to communicate with the computer. An example of a CLI design is the MS-DOS operating system.
A CLI design has the following advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
It allows in-depth control of an operating system. | It is not very user-friendly. |
It is more efficient and accurate than other UI designs. | New users have to learn commands to interact with the system. |
It uses minimal memory, making CLI great for slow computers. | It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the others. |
Menu-driven interface design
A menu-driven interface design provides a user with a list of options. The available options can be displayed as drop-down, pop-up, or full-screen menus. Menu-driven interfaces allow users to navigate different screens by choosing suitable options from the menu. An example of a menu-driven interface design is the one displayed in ATMs.
The following table includes the advantages and disadvantages of menu-driven interface design:
Advantages | Disadvantages |
It is easy to use and simple for new users. | It provides only a limited number of options. |
There is no need to remember or type commands. | Expert users may find it slow to use since it takes various menus to get to the desired screen. |
Graphical user interface design
A graphical user interface (GUI) design allows users to interact with the computer using graphic elements and icons. A user uses a mouse or track-pad to point and click on the visual elements as input. An example of a GUI design is the Windows operating system.
A variation of the GUI design is the touchscreen graphical user interface. It uses the same graphic display as a standard GUI, but instead of a mouse or track-pad, the user interacts with the computer using their finger or a stylus. Touchscreen GUI designs are commonly found on smartphones.
The advantages and disadvantages of GUI design are summarized in the table below:
Advantages | Disadvantages |
It is easy to use and simple for new users. | It is slower and less accurate than straightforward interface designs like CLI. |
There is no need to remember or type commands. | It uses a more significant amount of memory and processing power. |
Voice-controlled user interface design
A voice-controlled user interface (VUI) design allows users to communicate with the computer using voice or speech. Using a VUI, users can interact with the machine in a conversational way. Many intelligent personal assistants, including Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, use VUI design.
The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of VUI design:
Advantages | Disadvantages |
It is easy to use and simple for new users as the communication is natural. | It takes up more processing time than other UI designs. |
It is helpful for those who are medically disadvantaged, such as visually impaired users who can only interact with the computer using voice commands. | It is not always accurate as determining the meaning of a command can be difficult for the computer and might result in erroneous outputs. |
Gesture-based user interface design
Gesture-based UI designs allow interaction with the computer by using physical gestures. The gestures can be either in the form of touches, such as scrolling, or touchless, such as using facial expressions. Examples of gesture-based UI design include interactive games on Xbox, which use players’ gestures to operate.
The advantages and disadvantages of gesture-based user interface design include the following:
Advantages | Disadvantages |
It is easy to use and simple for novice users as the interaction is natural. | It needs a stationary background and proper lighting to operate without errors. |
It is helpful for users who are differently abled. | It can unintentionally trigger the interface. |
Conclusion
These days, the GUI design is most popular. In addition to the types explained above, a user interface design can also be of a hybrid type. For example, mobile phones have a GUI and VUI hybrid design for different purposes.
