The "10 Heuristics for User Interfaces", created by Jakob Nielsen, and accessible here.
Visibility of system status:The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
~ I need to make sure that the user interface I create will be informative and provide an easy to use overview of what's going on.
Match between system and the real world:The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.
~ The commands (at present most likely voice) I use to "control" the system need to be simple and make sense.
User control and freedom:Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
~ Ensure that I also make the system able to recognise functions that allow for "escape".
Consistency and standards:Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
~ Simple commands, things that one would expect to work. No need to try out different words to command the system.
Error prevention:Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
~ Make sure that the system does exactly what the user (me) wants it to do. Descriptive commands should then translate equally.
Recognition rather than recall:Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
Flexibility and efficiency of use:Accelerators -- unseen by the novice user -- may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions.
~ The user could possibly assign certain commands to certain long descriptive actions, so as to allow for ease of use.
Aesthetic and minimalist design:Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.
~ Have some pre-set information at the start of the film, that is then removed or altered as the spaces change. Possible small amounts of information that might be of interest.
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors:Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
~ Simple, "for dummies" error messages, if any.
Help and documentation:Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
~ Ideally I will try to make the whole system completely intuitive, so that it can provide information about almost anything. Small status icons, suggesting connections, battery, notifications, and other system information should always be there, and other information could be always displayed on request.
Image retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/17/10-futuristic-user-interfaces/
Virtual overlay displaying information about specific things is definitely something I really want to build into my designs. I have some ideas for things I want to present in my augmented reality, for example, things such as:~ Data about the weather,
~ Data about specific objects,
~ Personal planning data (a digital diary),
~ The time,
~ Text messages,
~ Data personally collected about people,
~ Updates on existing tasks/situations
I want to try and go for a blue "futuristic" and minimalist aesthetic that has been successful in a number of films. The things I want to show are things that might appear on a computer/phone or a smartphone. This is one of the things that I envision for the future of media design.
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