Bugzilla:UI Design

The Goals of UI

The basic goals of a user interface are easy to understand:

1. Be easy to use

2. Look nice

Number 1 is more important than Number 2.

That's not so hard, is it?

UI Design Is Not Code Design

Databases have certain principles of design. Object-oriented code (which is what Bugzilla uses) also has certain principles of design.

These are not the same as User Interface design principles. You shouldn't be displaying information to users in a certain way just because it's layed-out in the database a certain way. You also shouldn't be displaying information to users in a certain way just because your objects are designed in a certain way.

As a simple example, Bugzilla has both a Status and a Resolution field in the database. But it's OK to display them both together as part of the Status field, even though they're actually separate in the database.

Generally, don't be limited in your design by how your code works.

Some UI Design Tips

Here's some information to keep in mind when you're making a UI:

1. People shouldn't have to read the manual to use your UI. If they have to read the manual, the UI is too complicated.

2. Cramming a bunch of stuff on one screen isn't a good UI. The fewer things there are for somebody to look at, the less confused they will be. Of course, this should be balanced with the power user's desire to do lots of things at once. (Balancing these two factors is the major trick of brilliant UI design.)