User Interface Design

Most designers place simplicity above all else, and so do we. We value simple things, because they easily do all the things we need and none of the things we don't. Simplicity is harmonious. Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”You should always keep this quote in mind when you sit in front of your computer to design your user interfaces. To be simple is to be elegant.

Over the years, we have seen how Apple style has changed, evolving its own interpretation of “simplicity,”. In Figure 4–1, you can see how the surrounding world has been influenced by this style.

Figure 4–1. Different brand, same style: Apple (left) and Palm (right).

Palm is a big company that has changed the way of marketing its brand following the path blazed by Apple. Even the most recent ads of other companies, like Microsoft, are inspired by this way of thinking. Simplicity is quickly becoming the foundation of the new technology revolution, which is based on a touch-screen display.