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Human interface guidelines (HIG) are software development
Software development

Software development is the set of activities that results in software products. Software development may include research, new development, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products....
 documents which offer application developers a set of recommendations. Their aim is to improve the experience for the users by making application interfaces more intuitive, learnable, and consistent. Most guides limit themselves to defining a common look and feel
Look and feel

Look and feel is a term used in descriptions of products and fields such as product design, marketing, branding and trademarking, to describe the main features of its appearance....
 for applications in a particular desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
. The guides enumerate specific policies. Policies are sometimes based on studies of human-computer interaction (so called usability studies), but most are based on arbitrary conventions chosen by the platform developers.

Human interface guidelines will dictate a set of rules for general usability
Usability

Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal....
.






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Human interface guidelines (HIG) are software development
Software development

Software development is the set of activities that results in software products. Software development may include research, new development, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products....
 documents which offer application developers a set of recommendations. Their aim is to improve the experience for the users by making application interfaces more intuitive, learnable, and consistent. Most guides limit themselves to defining a common look and feel
Look and feel

Look and feel is a term used in descriptions of products and fields such as product design, marketing, branding and trademarking, to describe the main features of its appearance....
 for applications in a particular desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
. The guides enumerate specific policies. Policies are sometimes based on studies of human-computer interaction (so called usability studies), but most are based on arbitrary conventions chosen by the platform developers.

Human interface guidelines will dictate a set of rules for general usability
Usability

Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal....
. They often describe the visual design rules, including icon and window design and style. Frequently they specify how user input and interaction mechanisms work. Some describe the language style.

A HIG will sometimes also define standard terminology
Terminology

Terminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that are used in specific contexts. Not to be confused with "terms" in colloquial usages, the shortened form of technical terms which are defined within a Academic discipline or speciality field....
 and semantics
Semantics

Semantics is the study of meaning in communication. The word is derived from the Greek language word s??a?t???? , "significant", from s??a??? , "to signify, to indicate" and that from s??a , "sign, mark, token"....
 related to certain elements or actions. In general this is restricted to the semantics of the desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
 or the file system
File system

In computing, a file system is a method for store and organize computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them....
. As the majority of user problems come from the semantics of the applications, this is a drawback to most HIGs.

The more important version of HIGs are those done for groups or applications. In this case the HIG will build on a platform HIG by adding the common semantics for a range of functions.

The central aim of a HIG is to create a consistent experience across the environment (generally an operating system
Operating system

An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
 or desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
), including the applications
Application software

Application software is any tool that functions and is operated by means of a computer, with the purpose of supporting or improving the software user 's work....
 and other tools being used. This means both applying the same visual design and creating consistent access to and behaviour of common elements of the interface - from simple ones such as button
Button (computing)

In computing, a button is a user interface element that provides the user a simple way to trigger an event , like searching for a query at a search engine, or to interact with dialog boxes, like confirming an action....
s and icon
Icon (computing)

On computer displays, a computer icon is a small pictogram. Icons have been used to supplement the normal alphanumerics of the computer. Modern computers now can handle bitmapped graphics on the display terminal, so the icons are widely used to assist users....
s up to more complex constructions, such as dialog box
Dialog box

In graphical user interfaces, a dialog box is a special Window , used in user interfaces to display information to the user, or to get a response if needed....
es.

HIGs should be taken at face value; their recommendations and advice are meant to help developers create better applications, but developers are naturally free to break them if they think that the guidelines do not fit their application. The only repercussion for doing so may be that the organisation publishing the HIG does not give the application its blessing. Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. Official versions are distributed under the terms of the proprietary EULA....
's user interface, for example, goes against the GNOME
Gnome

A gnome is a mythical creature characterized by its extremely small size and wiktionary:subterranean lifestyle. The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus....
 project's HIG, which is one of the main arguments for including Epiphany
Epiphany (web browser)

Epiphany is a Web browser for the GNOME graphical computing desktop. It is also available for Mac OS X and is a descendant of Galeon....
 instead of Firefox in the GNOME distribution. But such departures should only be taken when there is evidence from usability testing
Usability testing

Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system....
 that the interface is improved.

Cross-platform guidelines

In contrast to platform-specific guidelines, cross-platform
Cross-platform

In computing, cross-platform is a term used to refer to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms....
 guidelines aren't tied to a distinct platform. These guidelines make recommendations which should be true on any platform. Since this isn't always possible, cross-platform guidelines may weigh the compliance against the imposed work load.

Examples of HIG

  • Guidelines for the GNU/Linux
    Linux

    Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
     platform:
    • OLPC
  • ELMER (guidelines for public forms on the internet)
  • wyoGuide
    WyoGuide

    The wyoGuide serves as a Reference implementation for cross-platform Graphical user interface development. The enumerated development guidelines are intended to promote professionalism, elegant design, standardized base functionality, predictability, and ease of use....
    , a cross-platform HIG


See also

  • User interface
    User interface

    The user interface is the aggregate of means by which people—the User s—Interaction with the system—a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tools....
  • Usability
    Usability

    Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal....
  • Common User Access
    Common User Access

    Common User Access is a standard for user interfaces to operating systems and computer programs. It was developed by IBM and first published in 1987 as part of their Systems Application Architecture....