Is there anything called GUI standards?

Question

GUIs are one of the important areas in most of the software products. I would like to know whether there is something called GUI Standards that defines the best practices in GUI design, but in depth. As an example are there any definitions that contain the best size for a text box or the ratio between the width and hight of a Windows form. (Just to provide maximum ease to the user + best appearance)

While searching I found several articles: GUI Standards

But they seem to be some "Local" standards defined by some organization only for themselves. Do we have something more common/published than this?

I know there is a standard from Microsoft as well.. But it is just what they do. Not a practices list for best appearance\usability\user experience.

Answer 1

The Windows User Experience Interaction Guidelines might be what you're looking for...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511258.aspx

Answer 2

Look for platform-specific user interface design guides. Microsoft has one, as does Apple and even GNOME.

Things like this are quite "cultural", i.e. they change when you move between different operating systems and so on.

Answer 3

I don't think there is any GUI standard, but for sure there are some good GUI practices.

This article seems helpful

Principles of Good GUI Design

I found a similar SO question also

Best Practices & Principles for GUI design

Answer 4

Take a look at the User Experience Patterns (UX Patterns), by Infragistics. It's a nice source of inspiration.

Answer 5

I suggest this post : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/90813/best-practices-principles-for-gui-design

Also, in google search, use "usability".

I also read a good book about it. But sorry, it is in French :-(

Answer 6

Depends what you're doing. Nearly every platform has their own official and usually a few unofficial ones.

That's the beauty of standards if you don't like it pick another one

. However GUI is not easy to standardise as there are multiple IO mechanisms - visual, non visual, one way, interactive etc.

No one standard could fit all - except perhaps and ISO or another standards body and that as we know will be obsolete before it's even completed a first draft.

On the other hand there are various psychologically based user experience techniques that are slowly becoming de rigeur standards.

Answer 7

Both Microsoft and Apple have had GUI standards for more than 20 years.

For instance expressed in the books "The Windows Interface. An Application Design Guide" (1987, ISBN 1-55615-439-9) and "Human Interface Guidelines: The Apple Desktop Interface" (1987, ISBN 0-201-17753-6). This information is also online.

Answer 8

Use your users as a standard. What works best for them is what is best, so talk to them, show them prototypes and use their feedback as input to the final product.
Have a look at Jakob Nielsen's Website for a wealth of usability material.