Ask HN: GUI Design. Where to start?

#1

Post by lokio9 » Tue, Sep 22, 2015, 7:15 AM UTC

I study Computer Engineering and I currently work on my final degree project. I develop software for a touchscreen tablet which will be integrated into a vehicle to be a part of its electronics system.

So far I implemented almost all the necessary functions and met the functional requierements. My current GUI is just a rough draft and has no structure. I have 6 weeks to design an automotive GUI and I am not sure where to start.

Can anyone give some advice? What software would use to make a screen design? I develop a Qt Quick Application using Qt Creator and made my simple GUI using QML.

Re: Ask HN: GUI Design. Where to start?

#2

Post by namuol » Tue, Sep 22, 2015, 7:31 AM UTC

1. Look at existing designs for inspiration.

2. Draft a prototype with a tool that's easy to hack with.

3. Try out your design with strangers; take notes where they get confused.

4. Change the design to address issues from #3.

5. GOTO #3

When drafting your design, don't worry about how it looks; focus on clarity and easy of use.

Note: There are many prototyping tools out there; this is a great resource: http://prototypingtools.co/

Re: Ask HN: GUI Design. Where to start?

#3

Post by lokio9 » Tue, Sep 22, 2015, 7:48 AM UTC

namuol wrote: post #2

1. Look at existing designs for inspiration. 2. Draft a prototype with a tool that's easy to hack with. 3. Try out your design with strangers; take notes where they get confused. 4. Change the design to address issues from #3. 5. GOTO #3 When drafting your design, don't worry about how it looks ; focus on clarity and easy of use. Note: There are many prototyping tools out there; this is a great resource: http://proto…

Thank you so much! I found the perfect prototyping tool for me!