User interface design

or user interface engineering is the design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user's experience and interaction. Where traditional graphic design seeks to make the object or application physically attractive, the goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as intuitive as possible—what is often called user-centered design. Where good graphic/industrial design is bold and eye catching, good user interface design is to facilitate finishing the task at hand over drawing attention to itself. Graphic design may be utilized to apply a theme or style to the interface without compromising its intuitive usability. The intuitiveness of an interface may depend on symbology from an artistic perspective as much as functionality from a technical engineering perspective.

User Interface design is involved in a wide range of projects from computer systems, to cars, to commercial planes; all of these projects involve much of the same basic human interaction yet also require some unique skills and knowledge. As a result, user interface designers tend to specialize in certain types of projects and have skills centered around their expertise, whether that be software design, user research,

web design

, or industrial design.

The term is currently criticized because its focus is more narrow than the overall user experience. Too much concentration on the technical aspects of user interface distracts the designer from the overall activity (see Activity theory) and real goals of users.[1] Nevertheless, while the terms are often discussed in methodological disputes, the activities behind them are much the same.