Sunday, November 2, 2008

interface as a mediator

The theme "interface as a mediator" was covered during week 2 lectures. The computer interface or "Graphical user interface(GUI)" is what allows users to perform direct actions on the operating system controling the user's computer. Computer interfaces are designed to be visually appealing while still giving user complete control over the OS. The computer interface also allows users to perform tasks and commands in minimum amounts of time. This is because all programs and functions can be represented as simple icons that can be accessed through simple clicks of the mouse, making the computer interface extremely efficient. Because of this, the computer interface acts as a great mediator between user and the computer, as it gives users understanding and control over the OS while hiding the more complex functions in the background.

1 comment:

Roland said...

this link will take you to a research document on User interface design which relates to the theme "interface as a mediator"
this research should be added during week 3, after when the lecture on the topic was taught.