3.3 DIGITAL LAYOUT Introduction to Digital Layout The principles of layout in print are important when designing for digital, too, but the changeable, interactive nature of computer displays presumes that the user will interact with the page, so the question is no longer dealing with the static aspects of posters, billboards, and magazine pages layout but letting users interact with the layout itself. Interfaces Interfaces were created to allow the interaction of users with computer systems, and there are different types. Here are some of the main ones: are text-based and use commands to be typed in; command line interfaces (CLI) are commonly used on cash or ticket machines; menu driven interfaces (MDI) are used to organise questions or options as a traditional paper form to be filled out; form based interfaces (FBI) include graphical elements, such as windows, icons and buttons; graphical user interfaces (GUI) 1 are combined display/input devices: the screen displays a graphical interface, and a user’s physical touch of the screen is interpreted as an input or interaction with the interface; touchscreen interfaces operate using speech recognition and/or motion detection, and use a design which makes the user learn how to use them fast; natural user interfaces (NUI) 2 aim at using natural language to control the device. natural language interfaces (NLI) 1 MORE 1 Apple’s GUI-based operating system was included with the Macintosh in 1984. Microsoft first released theirs with Windows 1.0 in 1985. MORE 2 Xbox Kinect is a typical example. DO 1 Can you think of two examples of NLIs? User Interface Design User interface design is the process of making interfaces stylish, easy to use and , visual design, interaction design, and information architecture. pleasurable blending relates to the strategic use of fonts, colours, and images which makes a page elegant without compromising its function or content. Visual design deals with how users interact with technology: it aims at creating an interface with behaviours that are well . Interactive design thought-out involves labelling, structuring, and organising the web content in a manner that makes it easily accessible and manageable. Information architecture