Navigation model for Desktop Application

Ever thought just a simple approach without much of jazziness or visual changes can improvise on your traditional desktop application.... even we didn't until we made a research on it while prototyping.

Here is an traditional OLD desktop application MAIN NAVIGATION BAR which we used to see many a times and our PMs would often say, not much can we do to change it sir....


We asked them and even ourselves WHY ???? we will try it... and we came up with this...

Little more interaction we added.... like getting back to MAIN Title Navigation, which is like added additional cheese to the PIZZA at the same rate, howzat....


Now you see these small interaction features can add to hell lotta difference to the screens.... I learned this lesson while designing screens.

My car.... not so great but good one

Some designations on Usability

For some who are unaware or bit confused or for some who term UI guys as web designers (harsh part is even my wife thinks the same), I am forced to do research on this and list it down some designations of members who are into usability…. And what they do, Here we go….

1. Interaction Designer

Interaction designer is often associated with the design of system interfaces but also concentrates on the aspects of the interface that define and present its behavior over time, with a focus on developing the system to respond to the user's experience and not the other way around.

2. User Interface Designer

UI Designer is someone who is involved in designing of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user's experience and interaction.

Now role of a Graphic designer or web designer is to apply a theme or style to the interface without looking into END user’s look or in other terms its called user centered design…. This is where a user interface designer comes into picture wherein he not only designs it but also sees to this that it’s easily accessible or user friendlier to the END USER, who will be actually using the thing. So in other words people who used to work as web or graphic visualizer are automatically converting to UI designer, only exceptions like AD AGENCY people who debate on this term and say that it kills creativity, maybe to an extent yes but in a long term view, even visual ads are been made fro whom…. For whom…. For common man right ????? so why make absurd ads in the name of creativity to make people think what it is…..

3. GUI Designer
A graphical user interface (GUI) is a type of user interface which employ graphical icons, visual indicators or special graphical elements, along with text, labels or text navigation to represent the information and actions available to a user. The actions are usually performed through direct manipulation of the graphical elements….. it’s almost same in lines with UI designer but some people term it as GUI designer to make it technically sound.

4. User Experience Designer

User experience design is a subset of the field of experience design which pertains to the creation of the architecture and interaction models which impact a user's perception of a device or system. The scope of the field is directed at affecting "all aspects of the user’s interaction with the product: how it is perceived, learned, and used….

MORE polished version of UI designer

5. Visual Designer

It’s almost the same as UI designer but this person gives more emphasis to visual components. Generally in most design firms Visual Designers are hired to create or visualize the design (mostly adding 3D elements…. Sort of ), but to me he should be someone who can effectively use graphical elements to meet the user centered principle.

Other designation like

User researcher

Usability Analyst

Usability Architects

Managerial level.... ya some firms do have

Business Analyst - Usability

Principal Usability head or lead

Are more inclined towards research and focus completely on adapting usability principles and user centric approach towards organization and projects, they rely on user experience and do full study on human behaviour, so they take help of designers to make their research into practice and to make it presentable.

In reality we all, I mean UI, interaction, etc, etc…… designers all do the same thing but many are not aware about what we do.

I realized that while on working for a long time in design field, slowly inclined to that not purposefully or forcefully but through nature of work or projects, at some period you will realize this that for whom are you designing for yourself or for users ???

Why I like Gangster movies....

Not all but almost all bhaigiri films (gangster movies) in hindi, I always had this liking for such movies, not because its full of violence, but I felt that gangster movies has the intensity and the attitude, maybe acting skills for some come out in such films.

Though not all, there are BAD to WORST films made in the name of gansters in hindi but films like Ankush, Company, Black Friday (this maybe dosen't fall under ganster film....), Sarkar (something was still missing in SARKAR, still I liked it because of both the ABs), Sanju baba's bhai wala films (though they are loud but SANJU fits in better than any other actors) VAASTAV in particular, though VAASTAV was not a great film but looked awsome only because of sanjay dutt, maybe the way he carried himself in film, The film would have been bombed if he weren't there in VAASTAV. But this all started with Biku Mhatre in Satya, this is were our directors uplifted themselfes in making gangster movies. But even before satyam there was an eye opener film called Shiva, simply great direction and storyline.

Another great movie was Ab ak Chappan, great performance by NANA (not his usual GAGS), good because of great direction and crispy storyline, climax was awsome in this. There are certain disaster movies made in the name of gangster (particularly hathyar, so called vaastav sequeal)

And the one which comes at the top is SHIVA(1st) and SATYA(2nd).....

60 years of INDIAN Independence and we still cry ???

• Rupee value goes up….. but many think dollar value is gone down, funny can’t believe even we can grow
  
  
• Domino’s, McDonald’s…. etc. have come – with price tag four times more than our very own desi UDIPI restaurant but we still go there to loose money and gain FAT, that’s URBAN India
  
  
• We criticize and crib badly about our NETAS…. But are our youth doing something to join politics or just dream to join INFOSYS or WIPRO…. Paisa - paisa power !!!!
  
  
• Half of urban Andhra population is in US of A and other half think US as their ambition, NOT strange, money can make us a slave
  
  
• Bangloreans….. or Bangaloorians are going a USA way of living. Funny in some article I read Bangalore IT programmers are just a literate labour, they will do exactly what is told to them, even if they know they are making a blunder..... parrot kinda (POPAT bole tho apunka IT banglorians)
  
  
• Do how much cleaning of Mumbai, but Kurla and Dadar area will be as dirty and clumsy as ever.
  
  
• Amir khan thinks that OSCAR is the only award which is superior, other desi awards are all showbiz…. I hope he realizes where he is ???
  
  
• Indian cricket team looses to Bangladesh, forget world cup…. And the charm of world cup goes down no ADVERTISING no REVENUE in Carabian island, you see how much has India grown, Loss of Indian cricket is loss for everyone, something to cheer.
  
  
• Indian Hockey is rusting, Shahrukh is out to bring back the old glory… I hope sometimes our schools and colleges think on the same lines...
  
  
• Laloo Prasad may be a hatred man but he has brought Indian Railways grow in such a peak that no others in past have done anything like this… HATS off to you sir
  
  
• Cars and cars more brands more competition, we see many carolas and Toyotas and Honda city in urban India,, but are we not worried about the GLOBAL WARMING… what’s that ?????
  
  
• Cinema hall is been replaced by MULTIPLEXES, good for cinema makers but bad for 20-30 rupees wala film watchers and bye bye to black marketers
  
  
• Private banks making nationalized bank sweat harder…. Long way to go SBI, UNION Bank, etc… need to speed up on service or else will face the consequences

All in ALL….. PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN….. only place where we live with full freedom in a complete democratic land…..

Some inspiration for few, watch this new video of A R Rahman.

Are we serious about UI ???

NO is the answer ??? we become serious only if the client demands. Why is it so? why can't we build a UI team that is taken more seriously and sales people do market the team's capabilities. Is it unsaleable or we Indians don't have much usability gyan, or is it because our people themselves don't know what usability is all about.

I met a guy who is in top position in cognizant technology pune, he asked me what do I do. I said I am into Usability..... he gave me a strange look, then I said UI team, he gain was a bit confused. I wasn't shocked by his behavior. This is the scenario of whole IT industry in India. more than half of the working staff are unaware of what is usability and what is UI ???? strange ! but thats bitter truth, other half who know or pretend to know claim that Usability is to do with look and graphics, animation, mind blowing 3D look. Yes this the view of some great managers of Indian IT industry.

But the emphasis goes higher when client wants his product or service to be user centric and he goes in and hires and design firm on his own, why because our business analyst or PMs are unaware of user centered principles. Now not everytime the client gives it to design firm, due to cost and cross functioning. Imagine if have a strong usability team and supported by the managers, how effective would the project result be ? Imaging how much time would be saved and understanding of the project will be more clearer. Profit for all no losses.... think fast before we miss the bus.