Visual Interface Design for Windows: Effective User Interfaces for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 3.1 [Paperback]

Virginia Howlett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471134198 | ISBN-13: 978-0471134190 | Publication Date: April 1996 | Edition: 1

Formerly the Director of Visual Interface Design at Microsoft, Howlett headed the team that designed Windows 3.1, 95 and NT. In this definitive resource she presents the graphic design principles and hands-on software development techniques essential to create visually functional and attractive Windows applications. Features a stunning four-color design with hundreds of illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Windows 95 seems destined to dominate the marketplace of personal computer operating systems for awhile, so Win95 interface designers have, to my mind, a moral obligation to provide the most pleasing possible aesthetic experience for their huge audiences.

This is a jewel of a book for interface design tailored to Win95. It points out how to take advantage of the great features of the interface tools -- and how to avoid the siren's call of gratuitous graphics. Its topics range broadly from clear coverage of design aesthetics, human factors, and the psychology of visual perception to issues specific to Win95. The world of desktop computing would be a better place if just one chapter -- "Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them" -- was required reading for all Win95 developers. Highly Recommended.

From the Publisher

Formerly the Director of Visual Interface Design at Microsoft, Howlett headed the team that designed Windows 3.1, 95 and NT. In this definitive resource she presents the graphic design principles and hands-on software development techniques essential to create visually functional and attractive Windows applications. Features a stunning four-color design with hundreds of illustrations.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471134198
• ISBN-13: 978-0471134190
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,087,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent material, August 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Visual Interface Design for Windows: Effective User Interfaces for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 3.1 (Paperback)

This book is a good introduction to the principles of interface design and how it affects the usability of a software product. It includes many examples and illustrations of the ideas outlined in the book. The content is easy to read and the full-color graphics are high quality. I think it is well worth reading and very helpful for both programmers and designers. My only caveat is that due to Howlett's work experience at Microsoft, many of her examples involve Microsoft products that follow the Microsoft interface standards. These standards may be limiting to some software products. But I was impressed with the overall quality of the information.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good design book, November 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Visual Interface Design for Windows: Effective User Interfaces for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 3.1 (Paperback)

This is a great book for a number of reasons:

1.It is short and practical.

2.This book is surprisingly thorough. I thought that this book might be too tactical and too focused on Microsoft Windows. It turned out to be full of general principles that could be applied in any software design situation. In fact it is full of information that would help any type of design process.

3.This book is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed reading this book.

4.Most of the principles in the book are timeless. Even though the examples are dated the principles can be applied today.

5.This book is written by someone who has had a huge impact on lots of real world software. The book reflects a lot of successful experience with high profile products. It is obvious that the author knows how to work with engineers and designers under high pressure situations and still manage to ensure strong design.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, to the point, and beautifully done, March 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Visual Interface Design for Windows: Effective User Interfaces for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 3.1 (Paperback)

I wish programmers of many applications I use had read this book. It provides significant insight regarding how the interface affects the user; any programmer who reads the book will have happier users.
The book proves its own points via its own beautifully done "user interface".