User Interface Design for Programmers
by Joel Spolsky
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Book Reviews of User Interface Design for Programmers
Book Review: Amatuer at best
Summary: 1 Stars
This book has a number of problems.
First, the writing is amateurish - hardly what I'd expect from someone trying to impart knowledge on a professional audience. It reads as a high school book report, not a reference for software engineers. I expect elegance in material I read, if for nothing else but to gain confidence in the author's intelligence and experience.
Second, much of the information is clearly lifted from books such as 'Tog on Interface' (which I highly recommend). Take for example chapter 10 from User Interface Design for Programmers - 'People Can't Control the Mouse'. Spolsky's ideas on the problem of small mouse targets, as well as his solutions, are almost a direct copy of Bruce Tognazzini's (which I might add were presented much earlier). As another reviewer mentioned, not only are the ideas un-original, but they are presented haphazardly and with little supporting information.
Overall, this book is not worth a penny. It is simply the ineloquent regurgitation of other's ideas.
Book Review: Fun to read!
Summary: 5 Stars
While this book is not in the usual sense a tutorial or a reference manual, it instructs and I will refer to it when creating user interfaces. This book is like a collection of short essays that are fun to read around a common theme, how to create good user interfaces. The overall effect is to modify the programmer's philosophy about user interfaces.
I am stilling mulling over a lot what Joel has to say. Although the book is rather short, it covers the subject rather well. There are no exact formulae for creating great user interfaces. Rather, the author gives some guidelines to consider when developing. They are explained and accompanied with full color examples that illustrate the author's point from actual applications.
Many readers may think that these guidelines are just common sense, but after using numerous applications and websites, it may not be that common after all. Read the book, the consumers of your application may thank you afterwards.
Book Review: Eye Opener for Programmers
Summary: 5 Stars
I echo the comments from the other reviewers. This book is great! However, it is not quite what I expected, it's better! I expected an elaboration of the Windows User Interface Standards; instead it takes a general design approach to user interfaces like the books on product design in general but specific to the Windows User Interface or windowslike user interfaces. It was an eye opener for me because it brings up things I never thought about and which I'm already applying to my software development efforts: font type used in text boxes or input boxes in general (non proportional) which enables easier editing, use of metaphors (how to use and not to use), getting ALL of the user input prior to executing a time consuming process (and of course, warning the user), and easy to do usability testing (ask 3 to 5 people what they think). My favorite chapter is Chapter 14, Relativity: Understanding UI Time Warps. I think this chapter is worth the price of the book alone.Book Review: A Great Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book, based on the articles Joel wrote and published... . is an excellent, no-nonsense, down to earth treatment of the subject.You'll find useful information on:
- Figuring out what people really need and want (even if they don't know themselves)
- How to design software that give people what they need and want
- Understanding how to make the functionality of your software obvious to the majority of your users
- Why making software too configurable is bad
And other topics that most programmers don't spend enough time thinking about.
The parts that really bring it home to me are the examples that use Joel's former employer (Juno) to demonstrate where things go wrong. Often they give me a sense of "Been there. Done that. Oh, so that's what I should have done!"
All in all, a really good book, and while you may not agree with all of what he says, at least you'll be thinking about the problems he presents from a user's perspective.
Book Review: Excellent, for me - if you are like me, buy this book
Summary: 5 Stars
A previous reviewer wrote "I think this is a book that will only please the programmer who ... feels they do not have the time to devote to a better treatment of this subject." That describes me perfectly! I write mostly mathematical and control software. I don't get paid to design UIs. I do not claim to have studied graphic design, and I don't get paid to do so. Some of the components I write are for internal use and their only interface is their public (software) interface. But I find it is becoming more common that I am asked to design something that needs a UI that users will see. So I needed a short, clear introduction to good UI design that was engaging so I wouldn't fall asleep while reading it. This book is perfect for that! I really like Joel Spolsky's writing style. It's a great start - maybe all I need - with a (selective) bibliography at the end listing resources the author recommends for learning more.