Readings 7

1. Readings 7 Upping Usability Building a solid UI Rules for better interfaces

2. How do you make your game UI more usable? • How are great UIs created? experience and good instincts are necessary and it helps to have concrete methods for analyzing usability • four dimensions of usability: • Learnability • Simplicity • Efficiency • Aesthetic

3. Learnability • How easy is it to learn how to use the system? • mainly concerns novice users • tutorials are commonplace, as they provide a safe environment for learning controls and mechanics • Once learned by the player, use of the UI should be based on recognition rather than recall. • Generally one should not be expected to remember every game control, rather there should be easily accessible reminders where appropriate

4. Learnability • The exception to this rule comes from games where learnability is part of the game mechanic. The fighting genre is the most regular example of this exception, as players are rewarded for learning difficult-to-remember controls. • controller mappings should be consistent • controls should match real world expectations(conform to majority of others in genre)

5. Efficiency • How quickly can tasks be accomplished? • The interface should allow users to move swiftly and effortlessly through the game. • Efficient controls become an extension of the user's body, with the user being able to rapidly react to the game without even thinking of how to command the system

6. tradeoffs • For tradeoffs between efficiency and learnability and simplicity, the rule of thumb is to think about the player demographics

7. Simplicity • Game controls should be as simple as possible, but no simpler • The best UIs are ones that determine ways to keep the game mechanic efficient and engaging but still only use simple controls • Some great games are built around incredibly simplified control schemes while others offer alternative control schemes for different players

8. Aesthetic • How enjoyable is the user interface experience? • a user interface should have a pleasing aesthetic that makes it enjoyable to use. This dimension tends to focus on visual and audio output of the interface as well as feedback • Game actions should be clear, obvious, and easy to select. • Graphics and sound effects should be agreeable, consistent, and informative. • The style of the UI should match the tone of the game.

9. Usability Tradeoffs • rarely possible to follow all principles, improving one dimension may diminish another, so it is always important to keep tradeoffs in mind • should a title have a more efficient user interface that is harder to learn, or one that is less efficient but more intuitive? • Good interface designers know when to break best practices in the name of the overall experience.

10. Solid UI • The way screen elements are laid out is crucial • if a game hopes to be accessible and easy to play, it must prioritize function over form with its UI. • Prominence Equals Importance • Group Related Items • Use Color to Associate

11. Solid UI • Icons and Text • Stack Text Vertically, not Horizontally • Be Wary of Tabs • Audio and UI

12. Rules for better interfaces • You won’t know if your interface is any good until it’s actually tested • The corner stone of good user interface design is that if your users need instructions, you haven't done a good job

13. Rules for better interfaces • A good UI is: • Intuitive • Feels fast e.g. no white screen, threading code • Consistent • Minimal popups • No clutter - not busy • Good error handling • Easy to customize + apps (aka a platform) • Gamification e.g. badges