How to Impress with a Good, User-Friendly GUI Design

"Who could have thought up this user interface?" What a shame it would be if a well-designed product with great functions failed to win over customers simply because they were put off by the user interface.

Whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or industrial control system, if the graphical user interface (GUI) is not well-thought-out, the user will avoid the software or device. There is often a lack of standardization, knowledge, or creativity. If a few design principles are observed, the GUI invites the user to operate the device - and that can be the key to success.

These 5 tips are Guaranteed to Help You

These 5 tips are guaranteed to help you:

Intuitive With a good GUI design, users understand the functions and menu navigation in no time at all. Icons and labels are meaningful, even for people who have little or no knowledge of the subject matter.
Recognizable When is something intuitive? When the GUI seems familiar. For example, you could ask yourself: Which symbols are familiar from other areas of everyday life and are easily recognized? Research is necessary to achieve this.
Liquid If you want to trigger several steps in quick succession on a touch display, a delay of just a few hundred milliseconds can be annoying. Admittedly: Sometimes waiting times cannot be avoided. In such cases, however, the user needs feedback, either as text or in graphic form.
Consistent The content and behavior of the GUI must be consistent - i.e. consistently logical. The aim must be for all elements and actions to appear as if they have been cast from a single mold.
Tidy Fonts, alignment, spacing, and colors should be standardized. This is the only way to give the GUI a tidy appearance. You should also ask yourself for every menu and every page: Is a certain element, color, or font size really necessary (keyword: minimalism)?

Two Useful Recommendations for You

As experts with over 20 years of experience in HMI applications, we would like to make the following two recommendations for an appealing GUI:

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Smart Embedded Displays in combination with TouchGFX

Smart Embedded® modules are displays that already have an Arm Cortex®-M7 and several interfaces integrated. The concept: an intelligent display whose graphic content is generated directly on-board. This avoids the need to transfer large amounts of data externally. You can use the free TouchGFX software to design GUIs. Find out more about Smart Embedded® Displays and TouchGFX here.

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CONZE - Your Partner for UI Design

It takes many years of experience to realize a high-performance display of sophisticated user interfaces on minimal hardware. CONZE gets the most out of low-power embedded systems for you. Visit CONZE here.

In this video, you can see the result of the development of a GUI for a smart home control system. See for yourself what is possible with an Arm Cortex®-M7 (STM32H750) design.

Take advantage of our technical expertise - let our specialists advise you on GUI design. Together we will find the right solution for you.