I hate to sound old, but I still remember the days when we used dos instead of graphic operation systems. Back then we could only dream of the convenience of buttons and controls, and all we had to work with was a few keyboard shortcuts. It's not surprising that when our computers made the transition into graphical, user-friendly, beings, for a couple of years or so the buzz word was GUI, and the GUI designers had a place of honor at any software development company.

GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, and it simply means the graphic features of a software, like buttons, drop down menus, etc. Once upon a time we used the F keys, the tab, or other key combinations to get the computer to do what we want. Now we simply cruise with the mouse to whatever spot on the screen, point to it, and click it. In the most simplified terms, the GUI designer's job is to decide how these objects will look, and where to place them on the screen. The designer has to make sure that the software is easy to get to know and convenient to use.

A key word in the field of GUI design is intuition, and it plays for both sides here. The first implementation of intuition translates into building software in a way that the common user will not have to go on a chase for a button or menu he needs. Things need to be laid out at plain sight, in reasonable order, sizes, and colors. If a visitor needs the blueprints of your site or software in order to use your system, than you are going to lose him. There are some conventions that make sure that the use of your software is streamlined: placing the Close or Minimize buttons on the top right corner, placing main drop down menus on top from left to right, and making sure that any button that is created to take the user to the next step is located within the immediate visible areas of the screen, in distinguishing colors (you'll be surprised how many times I came across sites or programs where the only way to see an important button is to scroll down or sideways). Intuitive software means that any user can start using it right away, with no need for explanations, just based on basic intuition.

The second meaning of intuitive software is that as the visitor uses the software, it ‘predicts' his needs by highlighting the button or menu he is most likely to need next. I'll give an example from one of the pioneers of GUI development, the online gambling industry. An online casino is one of the most thought out software when it comes to intuitive design (much like brick and mortar casino that spend millions on ergonomics, ventilation and lighting concurred to create the most inviting and comfortable environment for long play). The online parallel is where to locate the buttons. Let's take for example the play tables at www.money-casino.com where a careful consideration of layout is visibly clear. Knowing that the player's eyes are transfixed to the center of the table, the button that starts the next round (assuming that this is what the player wants to do) is located exactly in the player's focus, fading in and out as necessary, and by doing so guaranteeing that the rhythm of the game remains intact. So here the software is designed to be intuitive and predict the user's need.

This second aspect of intuitive design is crucial in programs for commercial use. If you have an online store and your Add to Card button can't be recognized within a tenth of a second, your business is in trouble. If the login link of your community or the Upload button of your shared filed site is not on the top third of the webpage, a lot of people will just give up on you and leave.

If you want to make sure your software or website is easy to use, put it to the test. For a start, ambush your friends or members of your family (but not colleagues who work in the field and are more quick with computer systems) and ask them to register, play, or make try to make a purchase. Follow them to see where they get stuck, or if something takes them too long. The next step is joining a developers/designers forums and ask for a review of your site (usually there is a whole sub-forum for this). You're very likely to get valuable critique.

The prime directive of GUI design is very simple: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Whatever you've annoyed you or made you waist your time on other sites, just keep out, and focus on speed, efficiency, and convenience.

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