User Interface Design For Programmers

I recently read this online version of Joel Spolsky’s user interface book. The chapters are also available individually. (Chapter 1.) It’s a really well presented introduction to interface design, and entertaining too.

What I loved was that I was pointed to this book from two sources. Marco Arment spoke about the last chapter in episode 6 of Build and Analyze. Marco was talking about the difference between what a product is intended to do and what it is really used for. Joel’s example is how people mostly use Excel for making lists, even though it was originally intended for modelling financial situations. The Excel team embraced this: they made it really easy to create lists.

Also, the book is on the booklist for one of my modules this term: 3F6, Software Engineering. (Syllabus.) We will have one lecture on user interface design, and this is the recommended book for those who are keen.

It’s delightful to finally see a clear convergence in what I’m supposed to be doing (degree) and what I always want to be doing (software and UI).

I read the book in Instapaper on my iPhone, which is just ideal. The paper book is not in our College library. It is not long for a book, but there is no way I would have read the whole thing on a computer. The convenience of Instapaper is unparalleled.