The Critical Design of User Interfaces

A user interface (UI) is the part of a computer application you can see and interact with. It is your point of contact with a complex computer system written as software that we, the users, get to do things with. A UI can be compartmentalised as components put together as a whole. An analogy would be to think of a car and how it is built up from so many different parts, the car interior being akin to the user interface of a computer application.

The whole point of a UI is so that a user can make use of software. Without good design, this can become a complicated task, and at its worst, render a piece of software frustrating to the point of abandonment and no return.
Back to the car analogy — the UI is about the look and feel of the software, like how the interior (and exterior) is about the look and feel of driving a car (and the car itself being driven from an outsider’s point-of-view). As opposed to the mechanical inner workings of the car that make it drivable, from the engine to its electronics.

The perception of a UI and the resultant behaviour from its use is called user experience (UX). This is to do more so with the feel of the application when using it. Having a good experience predicts more frequent use by the same user and attracting new users. There is a whole profession in which a comprehensive skillset can be developed to craft the experiences of digital systems and physical machinery known as UX design. User interfaces can be built, but the execution of its build, or design, is crucial in developing a valuable product.

UX intersects with many areas of knowledge, from behavioural psychology to consumer marketing. Think back to when you got so immersed in a movie, book, or video game. Your eye would be on the ball as you were immersed in the experience provided by the medium currently being engaged with. You would forget distractions, and even your immediate surroundings in some cases — time flies when you’re having fun. Sound familiar?

The rich experience is the aim to be captured by the designers and builders of user interfaces. If a product provides a memorable experience full of positive emotion, it will retain the user. A positive feedback loop must be created, but this runs the risk of compulsive use and dangerous behaviours that facilitate addiction. This is something to be mindful of, hence the relevant expertise in psychology UX designers practice. We see examples of such behaviour at casinos, where customers compulsively press a single button for hours on end. This is the darker side of UI/UX. There are immense profits to be made through customers with a select few winning immense profits themselves. A high-risk activity that has a whole backdrop of depressing stories and thrilling highs.

The dark side of user interfaces and the experiences they create highlight the critical design of user interfaces from an ethical standpoint. First, there is the desire to drive sales, user engagement, and growth. And then there is the responsibility of having the user’s well-being in mind, where there is the risk of destructive behaviour, depending on your business model.