Visual information. What is information? How we perceive good typography and its impact

2.1. Advantages of a visual form of presenting information

Verbal language and verbal categories contain extremely primitive means for constructing space, interpreting it, or doing something with it. This goal is served by the language of images and the system of perceptual actions, with the help of which a person builds an image of the surrounding reality and orients himself in it. This system is called perception. Perception is defined as a holistic image that reflects the unity of the structure and properties of an object. The objects of visual perception are objects, processes and phenomena of the surrounding world, which can be divided and described in the categories of space, movement, shape, texture, color, brightness, etc. When perceiving objects, the image more or less fully reflects the object or situation in which there is a person.

Images created on the basis of visual perception have greater associative power than words. Perhaps that is why they are perfectly stored in memory. Even after viewing several thousand paintings once, observers are able to correctly identify about 90% of them. The visual image is very plastic. This property is manifested in the fact that in terms of image it is possible Fast passage from a generalized assessment of the situation to detailed analysis its elements. Various types of movements of objects reflected in the image, their shifts, rotations, as well as enlargement, reduction, perspective distortion and normalization are possible. This unique manipulative ability of the visual system allows you to imagine the situation in both direct and reverse perspective. Manipulation of images, their completion - the most important means productive perception and visual thinking.

Many studies indicate that the visual system has mechanisms that ensure the birth of a new image. Thanks to them, a person is able to see the world not only as it really exists, but also as it can (or should) be. This means that visual images are a necessary condition, even moreover, an instrument of mental activity. They are related more directly than symbols and speech, with surrounding a person objective reality. An image is not only and not so much contemplation as it is a reconstruction of reality. It, this reality, can be recreated in the form (or close to it) in which the object really exists. But destruction of an object or situation and the reconstruction of its new version or variants are also possible. On the basis of this image, changed in comparison with reality, a person again turns to objective reality and rebuilds it in his own practical activities. It is impossible to prepare a creatively thinking specialist without developing his figurative representation, imagination and thinking. The universal apparatus of projection schematism provides a tangible benefit in this matter. One of essential tools projection modeling, which serves to form spatial representations, is a geometric interpretation. The objects of interpretation are graphic models in the form of a combination of drawings, diagrams, text, diagrams, etc. Graphic models involve displaying information in the form of a set of means of graphical representation of information: lines, symbols, mnemonic signs, used in accordance with the rules for constructing graphic models. When perceiving information in this form, access to a higher-dimensional operational space is necessary than when perceiving text. The degree of accuracy when comparing an information object with its model depends on the completeness of information about the projection apparatus that took place during the modeling. Figure 2.1 shows one of the possible classifications of graphical models. Pictographic model– a graphical model compiled using conditional graphic images(pictograms) indicating objects, actions or events. Ideographic model– a graphic model compiled using ideograms – conventional written signs denoting concepts.

The issue of the effectiveness of information transfer and assimilation is one of the main ones throughout last decades. The main means of communication in the world at the beginning of the 21st century is visualization (a visual form of transmission) of information. A person perceives the largest amount of information (approximately 80–90%) visually. “The dominant importance of the visual system for humans is explained by the fact that it is the most powerful source of information about the external world, has the greatest rangefinding and stereoscopic sensory functions.”

Efficiency, advantage graphic method transmission of information, in comparison with motor or sound (Figure 2.2), is that visual perception the information transmitted by a person and the creation of a mental image by him occurs so quickly that a person perceives this process as “instantaneous”. This explains the effect of simultaneity, or simultaneity, based on the property of human perception of information: the mental images created when perceiving information and the transmitted graphic models are very similar in form.

Information visualization

According to the established tradition, let's start with the definition.

Information visualization– presentation of information in the form of graphs, diagrams, block diagrams, tables, maps, etc.

ecsocman.edu.ru

Why visualize information? " Stupid question"- the reader will exclaim. Of course, text with pictures is perceived better than “gray” text, and pictures with text are perceived even better. It’s not for nothing that we all love comics so much - after all, they allow us to literally grasp information on the fly, it would seem without putting in the slightest mental effort!And remember how well you remembered the material of those lectures that were accompanied by slides during your studies!

The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the word “visualization” is graphs and diagrams (here it is, the power of associations!). On the other hand, only numerical data can be visualized in this way; no one has ever been able to build a graph based on coherent text. For the text, we can build a plan, highlight the main thoughts (thesis) - make short summary. We will talk about the disadvantages and harms of note-taking a little later, but now let’s say that if we combine an outline and a short outline - “hang” theses on the branches of a tree, the structure of which corresponds to the structure (plan) of the text - then we will get an excellent block diagram text which will be remembered much better than any summary. In this case, the branches will play the role of those “tracks” - paths connecting the concepts and theses that we talked about earlier.

Remember how we built UML diagrams based on the description of the designed software system received from its future users? The resulting pictures were perceived by both clients and developers much easier and faster than a text description. In the same way, you can “depict” absolutely any text, not just the technical specifications for system development. The approach we described above allows you to visually present absolutely any text - be it a fairy tale, a technical assignment, a lecture, a science fiction novel, or the results of a meeting - in the form of a convenient and easy-to-read tree. You can build it any way you like, as long as you get a visual and understandable diagram, which would be nice to illustrate with appropriate drawings.

Such schemes are also convenient to use in communication when discussing any questions and problems. As practice shows, the absence of clear notation standards does not create absolutely no communication difficulties for discussion participants. On the contrary, the use of non-verbal forms of presenting information allows you to focus attention precisely on the key points of the problem. However, visualization is one of the most promising areas for increasing the efficiency of analysis, presentation, perception and understanding of information.

Wow, we are finally done with the tedious description of scientific theories, methods and techniques used to process, systematize and visualize information! The previous part of the chapter greatly tired both the author and the readers, and nevertheless, it was necessary: as a result, we saw that the features of our brain are already actively used by scientists in the most different areas science, many things that seem familiar to us - personal computers, user interfaces, knowledge bases, etc. – were initially built taking into account the associative nature of human thinking and its tendency to hierarchical representation and visualization of information. But the pinnacle and natural graphic expression of a person’s thought processes is mind mapping, to the discussion of which we are finally moving on. And at the same time we will try to expand our understanding of the principles of visual thinking.

Information visualization - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Information Visualization" 2017, 2018.

Have you ever thought about how we see things? How to grab them from all the visual diversity environment using sensory stimuli? And how do we interpret what we see?

Visual processing is the ability to make sense of images, allowing humans (and even animals) to process and interpret the meaning of the information we receive through our vision.

Visual perception plays important role V Everyday life, helping with learning and communicating with others. At first glance it seems as if perception occurs easily. In fact, behind the supposed ease lies a complex process. Understanding how we interpret what we see helps us design visual information.

A balanced infographic involves the proper use of visual representation (for example, charts, graphs, icons, images), an appropriate choice of colors and fonts, a suitable layout and site map, etc. And we must not forget about the data, its sources and topics, which is no less important. But today we will not talk about them. We will focus on the visual side of information design.

Psychologist Richard Gregory (1970) was convinced that visual perception depends on top-down processing.

Top-down processing, or conceptually driven process, occurs when we form ideas about big picture from small parts. We make assumptions about what we see based on expectations, beliefs, prior knowledge, and previous experiences. In other words, we are making an educated guess.

Gregory's theory is supported by numerous evidence and experiments. One of the most famous examples— hollow mask effect:

When the mask is turned to the hollow side, you see a normal face

Gregory used Charlie Chaplin's rotating mask to explain how we perceive the hollow surface of a mask as bulges based on our beliefs about the world. According to our previous knowledge of facial structure, the nose should protrude. As a result, we subconsciously reconstruct the hollow face and see a normal one.

How do we perceive visual information according to Gregory's theory?

1. Almost 90% of information received through the eyes does not reach the brain. Thus, the brain uses previous experience or existing knowledge to construct reality.

2. The visual information that we perceive is combined with previously stored information about the world that we have acquired through experience.

3. Based on various examples Top-down processing theory suggests that pattern recognition is based on contextual information.

Information Design Tip #1, based on Gregory's Visual Inference Theory: Enhance the data with an appropriate theme and design; use a meaningful headline to set key expectations; Support your visuals with expressive text.

2. Sanoka and Sulman's experiment on color relationships

According to numerous psychological studies, combinations of homogeneous colors are more harmonious and pleasant. While contrasting colors usually associated with chaos and aggression.

In 2011, Thomas Sanocki and Noah Sulman conducted an experiment to study how color combinations affect short-term memory - our ability to remember what we just saw.

Four different experiments were carried out using harmonious and disharmonious color palettes. In each trial, participants were shown two palettes: first one, then a second, which had to be compared with the first. The palettes were shown at a certain time interval and several times in random combinations. The subjects had to determine whether the palettes were the same or different. Also, the experiment participants had to evaluate the harmony of the palette - a pleasant/unpleasant combination of colors.

Below are 4 examples of palettes that were shown to participants in the experiment:

How do colors affect our visual perception according to Sanocki and Sulman's theory?

People remember better those palettes in which the colors are combined with each other.
People remember palettes that contain a combination of only three or fewer colors better than those that contain four or more colors.
The contrast of adjacent colors affects how well a person remembers color scheme. In other words, this means that the color difference between context and background can enhance our ability to focus on the context.
We can remember quite a large number of color combinations at the same time.

Thus, the results of the experiment indicate that people are better able to assimilate and remember more information by perceiving images with contrasting, but harmonious color scheme, preferably with a combination of three or less colors.

Information design tip #2, based on Sanoka and Sulman's experiment: Use as few different colors as possible in complex content; increase the contrast between visual information and background; choose themes with a harmonious combination of shades; use disharmonious color combinations wisely.

Binocular rivalry occurs when we see two different images In one place. One of them dominates, and the second is suppressed. Dominance alternates at certain intervals. So, instead of seeing a combination of two pictures at the same time, we perceive them in turn, as two images competing for dominance.

In a 1998 experiment, Frank Tong, Ken Nakayama, J. Thomas Vaughan, and Nancy Kanwisher concluded that if you look at two different images at the same time, the effect of binocular rivalry occurs.

Four trained people took part in the experiment. As stimuli, they were shown images of a face and a house through glasses with red and green filters. During the perception process, there was an irregular alternation of signals from the two eyes. The subjects' stimulus-specific responses were monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

How do we perceive visual information according to Tong's experiment?

According to MRI data, all subjects showed active binocular rivalry when they were shown dissimilar pictures.
In our visual system, the binocular rivalry effect occurs during visual processing. In other words, during the short period of time when the eyes are looking at two dissimilar images located close to each other, we are not able to determine what we are actually seeing.

David Carmel, Michael Arcaro, Sabine Kastner and Uri Hasson conducted a separate experiment and found that binocular rivalry can be manipulated using stimulus parameters such as color, brightness, contrast , shape, size, spatial frequency or speed.

Manipulating contrast in the example below causes the left eye to perceive a dominant image, while the right eye perceives a suppressed image:

How does contrast affect our visual perception according to the experiment?

Manipulating contrast causes the stronger stimulus to be dominant for a greater amount of time.
We will see a fusion of the dominant image and part of the suppressed one until the effect of binocular rivalry arises.

Information Design Tip #3 Based on the Binocular Rivalry Effect: n Don’t overload the content; use themed icons; highlight key points.

4. The influence of typography and aesthetics on the reading process

Did you know that typography can influence a person's mood and ability to make decisions?

Typography is the design and use of type as a means of visual communication. Nowadays, typography has moved from the field of book printing into the digital sphere. Summarizing all possible definitions of the term, we can say that the purpose of typography is to improve the visual perception of text.

In an experiment, Kevin Larson (Microsoft) and Rosalind Picard (MIT) found out how typography affects a reader's mood and problem-solving ability.

They conducted two studies, each involving 20 people. Participants were divided into two equal groups and given 20 minutes to read a magazine issue on a tablet. The New Yorker. One group received a text with bad typography, the other - with good typography (examples are given below):

During the experiment, participants were interrupted and asked how much time they thought had passed since the start of the experiment. According to the data psychological research(Weybrew, 1984): People who find their activities enjoyable and are in a positive mood report spending significantly less time reading.

After reading the texts, the experiment participants were asked to solve the candle problem. They had to attach the candle to the wall so that the wax would not drip, using pushpins.

How do we perceive good typography and its impact?

Both groups of participants misestimated the time spent reading. This means that reading was a fun activity for them.
Participants who were presented with text with good typography significantly underestimated their reading time compared to participants who were presented with text with poor typography. This means that they found the first text more interesting.
None of the participants who read the text with poor typography were able to solve the candle problem. While less than half of the second group completed the task. Thus, good typography influenced the ability to solve problems.

Information design tip #4, based on Larsen and Picard's experiment on the influence of typography: Use readable fonts; separate text from images; do not overlay pictures or icons on the text; leave enough white space between paragraphs.

5. Perception of the essence of the scene according to Castellano and Henderson

Have you ever wondered what the expression “a picture says a thousand words” really means? Or why do we perceive images better than text?

This does not mean that the image tells us all the information we need. A person simply has the ability to grasp the main elements of a scene at one glance. When we fix our gaze on an object or objects, we form general idea and recognize the meaning of the scene.

What is scene perception? According to Nissan Research & Development researcher Ronald A. Rensink:

“Scene gist, or scene perception, is the visual perception of the environment as an observer at any given time. It includes not only the perception of individual objects, but also such parameters as their relative positions, as well as the idea that other types of objects are encountered."

Imagine that you see certain objects that represent two signs with symbols, and a diagram that symbolizes a fork and indicates two different ways. Most likely, the following scene appeared in front of you - you are in the middle of the jungle/forest/highway and there are two paths ahead that lead to two different destinations. Based on this scene, we know that a decision must be made and one path must be chosen.

In 2008, Monica S. Castelhano of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and John M. Henderson of the University of Edinburgh studied the effect of color on the ability to perceive the essence of a scene.

The experiment included three different trials. Students were shown several hundred photographs (natural or man-made objects) under different conditions for each test. Each image was shown in a specific sequence and time point. Participants were asked to respond “yes” or “no” when they saw details that matched the scene.

Normal and blurred photographs were presented with color and monochrome photographs, respectively.

To determine the role of colors in the perception of the essence of a scene, anomalous colors were used for the following example photographs:

How do we perceive visual information based on Castellano and Henderson's findings?

The subjects grasped the essence of the scene and the target object within seconds. This means that people can quickly understand the meaning of a normal scene.
The subjects were faster at matching color pictures than black and white ones. Thus, color helps us understand a picture better.
In general, colors determine the structure of objects. The better a color matches the way we typically perceive the world, the easier it is for us to understand the meaning of the image.

Information Design Tip #5 Based on Castellano and Henderson's Scene Perception Research: Use appropriate icons or pictures to represent data; arrange content in the correct sequence; use familiar colors for important objects.

conclusions

Understanding how people perceive visual information helps improve infographics. Summarizing the conclusions of the experiments reviewed, we bring to your attention key tips for visual information design:

1. Layout and design

The theme and design should be consistent with the information.
Don't overcrowd your page's infographics.
Use themed icons.
Arrange content in proper sequence.
Use headings to set key expectations.

2. Video sequence

Visuals should accompany the text.
Show important numbers in graphs and charts.
Use the right pictures and icons to represent your data.

Reduce the number of colors for complex content.
Make the contrast higher between important visual information and the background.
Use harmonious theme colors.
Use disharmonious colors wisely.
Use regular colors for important objects.

4. Typography

Choose readable fonts.
Leave plenty of white space between the title and the text or image.
Do not overlay pictures or icons on text.
Provide sufficient spaces between characters.

Now that you know the ins and outs of creating beautiful and compelling infographics, it's up to you!

Every day it hits every person great amount information. We encounter new situations, objects, phenomena. Some people cope with this flow of knowledge without problems and successfully use it to their advantage. Others have difficulty remembering anything. This situation is largely explained by a person’s belonging to a certain type in terms of the way they perceive information. If it is served in a form that is inconvenient for humans, then its processing will be extremely difficult.

What is information?

The concept of “information” has an abstract meaning and its definition largely depends on the context. Translated from Latin language this word means "clarification", "presentation", "introduction". Most often, the term “information” refers to new facts that are perceived and understood by a person, and also found useful. In the process of processing this information received for the first time, people gain certain knowledge.

How is information received?

The perception of information by a person is an acquaintance with phenomena and objects through their impact on various senses. By analyzing the result of the impact of a particular object or situation on the organs of vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, the individual receives a certain idea about them. Thus, the basis in the process of perceiving information is our five senses. In this case, a person’s past experience and previously acquired knowledge are actively involved. By referring to them, you can attribute the information received to already known phenomena or separate them from the general mass into a separate category. Methods of perceiving information are based on some processes associated with the human psyche:

thinking (having seen or heard an object or phenomenon, a person, starting to think, realizes what he is faced with);
speech (the ability to name the object of perception);
feelings ( different kinds reactions to objects of perception);
the will to organize the process of perception).

Presentation of information

According to this parameter, information can be divided into the following types:

Text. It is represented in the form of all kinds of symbols, which, when combined with each other, make it possible to obtain words, phrases, sentences in any language.
Numeric. This is information represented by numbers and signs that express a certain mathematical operation.
Sound. It's directly oral speech, thanks to which information from one person is transferred to another, and various audio recordings.
Graphic. It includes diagrams, graphs, drawings and other images.

Perception and presentation of information are inextricably linked. Each person tries to choose exactly the option for presenting data that will ensure the best understanding of it.

Ways of human perception of information

A person has several such methods at his disposal. They are determined by the five senses: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. In this regard, there is a certain classification of information according to the method of perception:

visual;
sound;
tactile;
taste;
olfactory.

Visual information is perceived through the eyes. Thanks to them, various visual images enter the human brain, which are then processed there. Hearing is necessary for the perception of information coming in the form of sounds (speech, noise, music, signals). are responsible for the possibility of perception. Receptors located on the skin make it possible to estimate the temperature of the object under study, the type of its surface, and shape. Taste information enters the brain from receptors on the tongue and is converted into a signal by which a person understands what product it is: sour, sweet, bitter or salty. The sense of smell also helps us understand the world around us, allowing us to distinguish and identify all kinds of smells. Main role Vision plays a role in the perception of information. It accounts for about 90% of the knowledge gained. The sound way of perceiving information (radio broadcast, for example) makes up about 9%, and the other senses are responsible for only 1%.

Types of perception

The same information, obtained in any particular way, is perceived differently by each person. Someone, after reading one of the pages of a book for a minute, can easily retell its contents, while others will remember practically nothing. But if such a person reads the same text out loud, he will easily reproduce in his memory what he heard. Such differences determine the characteristics of people’s perception of information, each of which is inherent in a certain type. There are four in total:

Visuals.
Auditory learners.
Kinesthetics.
Discrete.

It is often very important to know what type of information perception is dominant for a person and how it is characterized. This significantly improves mutual understanding between people and makes it possible to convey the necessary information to your interlocutor as quickly and completely as possible.

Visuals

These are people for whom vision is the main sense organ in the process of learning about the world around them and perceiving information. They remember well new material, if they see it in the form of text, pictures, diagrams and graphs. In the speech of visual learners, there are often words that are somehow related to the characteristics of objects by their external signs, the function of vision itself (“let’s see”, “light”, “bright”, “will be visible”, “it seems to me”). Such people usually speak loudly, quickly, and gesticulate actively. Visuals great attention pay attention to their appearance and surroundings.

Audials

For auditory learners, it is much easier to learn something that they have heard once, rather than seen a hundred times. The peculiarities of such people’s perception of information lie in their ability to listen and remember well what is said, both in a conversation with colleagues or relatives, and at a lecture at an institute or at a work seminar. Audials have a large lexicon It's a pleasure to communicate with them. Such people know how to perfectly convince their interlocutor in a conversation with him. They prefer quiet activities to active pastimes; they like to listen to music.

Kinesthetics

Touch, smell and taste play an important role in the process of kinesthetic perception of information. They strive to touch, feel, taste an object. Motor activity is also significant for kinesthetic learners. In the speech of such people there are often words that describe sensations (“soft”, “according to my feelings”, “grab”). A kinesthetic child needs physical contact with loved ones. Hugs and kisses, comfortable clothes, a soft and clean bed are important to him.

Discrete

The ways of perceiving information are directly related to the human senses. The majority of people use vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste. However, types of information perception include those that are primarily associated with thinking. People who perceive the world similarly, are called discretes. There are quite a few of them, and they are found only among adults, since logic is not sufficiently developed in children. At a young age, the main ways of perceiving information in discretes are visual and auditory. And only with age do they begin to actively think about what they saw and heard, while discovering new knowledge for themselves.

Type of perception and learning ability

The ways people perceive information largely determine the form of learning that will be most effective for them. Of course, there are no people who would receive new knowledge entirely with the help of one sense organ or a group of them, for example, touch and smell. All of them act as means of perceiving information. However, knowing which sense organs are dominant in a particular person allows others to quickly convey the necessary information to him, and allows the person himself to effectively organize the process of self-education.

Visual learners, for example, need to imagine the whole new information V readable form, in drawings and diagrams. In this case, they remember it much better. Visual learners usually excel at exact sciences. Even in childhood, they are excellent at putting together puzzles, as many people know geometric figures, are good at drawing, drawing, building with cubes or construction sets.

Auditory learners, on the contrary, more easily perceive information received from it. This could be a conversation with someone, a lecture, an audio recording. During training foreign language For auditory learners, audio courses are preferable to printed tutorials. If you still need to remember the written text, it is better to speak it out loud.

Kinesthetic learners are very mobile. They find it difficult to concentrate on anything long time. Such people find it difficult to learn material learned at a lecture or from a textbook. The memorization process will go faster if kinesthetic learners learn to connect theory and practice. It is easier for them to learn sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, in which specific scientific term or the law can be represented as the result of an experiment carried out in a laboratory.

Discrete people take a little longer than other people to take new information into account. They must first comprehend it and relate it to their past experience. Such people can, for example, record a teacher’s lecture on a dictaphone and subsequently listen to it a second time. Among the discretes there are many people of science, since rationality and logic are above all else for them. Therefore, in the process of studying, they will be closest to those subjects in which accuracy determines the perception of information - computer science, for example.

Role in communication

The types of information perception also influence how you communicate with him so that he listens to you. Very important for visual learners appearance interlocutor. The slightest carelessness in clothing can turn him off, after which it will not matter at all what he says. When talking with a visual person, you need to pay attention to your facial expressions, speak quickly using gestures, and support the conversation with schematic drawings.

In a conversation with an auditory learner, there should be words that are close to him (“listen to me”, “sounds tempting”, “this says a lot”). The perception of information by an auditory person depends largely on how the interlocutor speaks. should be calm and pleasant. It is better to postpone an important conversation with an auditory person if you have a severe cold. Such people also cannot tolerate shrill notes in their voices.

Negotiations with a kinesthetic person should be carried out in a room with a comfortable air temperature and a pleasant smell. Such people sometimes need to touch the interlocutor, so they better understand what they heard or saw. You shouldn’t expect a kinesthetic learner to make a quick decision immediately after the conversation. He needs time to listen to his feelings and understand that he is doing everything right.

Dialogue with discrete people must be built on the principle of rationality. It is best to operate with strict rules. For discrete data, the language of numbers is more understandable.

The quality of visual design significantly affects both the psychophysiological state of the user and the efficiency of his work in general. As a result, even a software product that is quite powerful in its capabilities may not be functional enough if the visual representation of its interface does not meet the relevant requirements.

When designing visual elements of an application interface, it is advisable to rely on certain principles of composition, the main ones of which are the following:

hierarchical organization of displayed information;

visual highlighting of the most important elements;

balanced screen structure;

visual unification of logically interconnected elements;

ensuring readability and logical consistency of displayed information;

the use of unified approaches to visualizing displayed information not only within the application, but also the working environment as a whole (the principle of integration).

Hierarchical organization of information. The principle of hierarchical organization of information means placing information based on its meaning relative to other visual elements of the application. The result of this ordering affects the implementation of all other principles of visual presentation of information. From the point of view of the user's work, the hierarchical organization of information determines the availability of certain data and the sequence of execution of the task being solved.

Visual highlighting of the most important elements. When implementing the principle of attracting the user’s attention, two tasks must be solved: firstly, the choice at each step of the work of some basic ideas, most important to complete this step; secondly, the appropriate presentation and placement of the elements implementing this idea.

Due to psychophysiological characteristics, people pay attention primarily to the upper left corner of the viewed area or to that the part of it that is visually different from the others. Based on this, it makes sense to place the most important information(or node element) either in the upper left corner of the screen or in a window equipped with special attributes.

Balanced screen structure. The principle of balanced screen structure is one of the most important principles of visual design. It assumes, on the one hand, the rational use of screen space, and on the other, such a placement of information in which only that part of it that is really necessary to complete the next step of the user’s task is presented on the screen at any given time.

Visual unification of logically interconnected elements. The visual integration of logically interrelated elements helps the user understand how exactly the information and controls presented on the screen relate to the task step being performed and each other. With friend. For example, if a dialog box has a button that affects the contents of a list, it makes sense to place them side by side.

Readability and logical consistency of the displayed information. Any information (not just text) must be expressed in a compact and at the same time accessible form; in addition, the user must be able to understand how it relates to previous and subsequent steps in the task.

Integration. If the application interface is visually consistent with the system interface and the interface of other applications, it is much easier to provide the user with a consistent and predictable work environment.

Color is one of the most important visual attributes of the interface. Because color has the ability to attract the eye, it should be used to identify those interface elements that the user needs to pay attention to. Color also has an associative aspect; in many cases, objects of the same color are perceived by people as related. Colors can also have certain emotional or psychological effects; It’s not for nothing that, for example, colors are divided into “cold” and “warm”.

Please note that some color combinations, such as blue characters on a red background, are unpleasant to the eye. About also the influence of color on mood and performance.

Fonts help organize information and create a certain mood. By changing the size and density of the font, you can indicate to the user the degree of importance of this or that information and the order in which it should be read.

On standard monitors, fonts are typically less legible than on a printed page. Avoid using italic (Italic) and serif fonts as they are difficult to read, especially on low monitor resolutions.

The number of fonts and styles used must be limited. Whenever possible, use the standard system font for common interface elements. This ensures visual consistency between the interface of your application and the interface of the production environment.

"Multidimensionality" of the screen When depicting many interface elements, it is useful to use perspective, highlighting, and shading to create a three-dimensional appearance. This helps to increase the functionality of the interface and the visibility of feedback when the user works with computer analogues of the real world.

When creating lighting/shading effects, the default is to assume that the hypothetical light source is in the top left corner of the screen.

Developing your own visual elements You should be careful not to overdo the use of “3D” images, since the image of each “3D” object takes up significantly more space on the screen than its “flat” counterpart. Use 3D effects only to depict interactive elements. In this case, enter only those details that are really necessary for the user to identify the image.

Size and mutual arrangement visual elements are very important for creating a visually consistent and predictable environment. Visual structure is also important in terms of conveying the purpose of the elements displayed in the window. In general, when choosing a layout option, you should follow the same rules that are used when laying out a printed page.

Grouping. Grouping involves compact placement of interconnected elements. To implement grouping, either a special element can be used - a grouping block, or simply placing elements at an appropriate distance from each other.

Although you can use color to visually group objects, this approach is not successful because it can lead to undesirable effects when the user changes the color scheme.

Try to position the controls in the toolbar so that there is a gap from the edge of the panel to the edge of the window that is at least equal to the width of the window frame. In some cases, such as when toolbar buttons are used like a set of radio buttons, they may be arranged contiguously (without space).

It is advisable to group the main control buttons of the secondary window in the upper right corner of the window or arrange it in the form of a ruler along the bottom edge of the window. If there is a predefined button in the window, then it should usually appear first.

OK and Cancel should be located nearby. A button should “close” the group Reference(if supported by the application). If the button OK not used in this window, but there are other control buttons; then it is best to install a button Cancel at the end of the set of control buttons, but before the button Reference. If a button applies only to a specific area of the window, include it in that area.

If buttons (or other controls) are placed on a tab, their scope is assumed to apply only to that tab; Accordingly, buttons that are not part of any of the window tabs belong to the window as a whole.

Alignment. Alignment is another additional way to visually display related information (or controls). As a rule, there are three ways to align information:

vertical (along the left or right edge of the aligned elements);

horizontal (along the top line or along the top edge of the element);

adjacent alignment (when elements meet at the edges).

If information is located vertically, it is advisable to align its elements to the left edge of the corresponding area. This usually makes it easier for the user to quickly view information. However, if numerical data is displayed in the form of a column, the values of which can change, it is better to align it to the right.

Visualization of performed operations is one of the ways to provide the user with feedback about the application. A well-thought-out visualization method not only helps the user better understand the essence of the operation being performed, but also ensures a timely and correct response from the user in the event of erroneous or unsuccessful actions. This is especially important for applications used in control, decision-making and other real-time systems.

Visualization of selection operations. Visual Feedback when performing selection operations, it should allow the user to uniquely identify the selected object against the background of others.

The image of the selected object must change directly during the selection operation. The same applies to the selected area. In this case, the selection state should be displayed only for the active area or hierarchy level (for example, for the active window or subwindow). This will help the user determine which of the available selections the action being performed belongs to.

For many object types, a system highlight color can be used to indicate selection status.

Visualization of forwarding operations. Transfer operations include operations of moving, copying and linking objects, as well as their derivatives. When performing transfer operations, the visualization tool is to move the image of the transferred object simultaneously with moving the pointer. In this case, the moving image of the object must be visually different from its image in the original position: either a translucent or contour image of the object is used as it.

Animation. Animation can be a very effective means of conveying visual information in many cases (for example, to illustrate the functioning of a device or the execution of an operation). Sometimes its use can simply enliven the application interface and make the user's communication with it more pleasant.

One of the most important requirements for using animation is that it should not affect the interactivity of the interface. Don't make the user wait for the cartoon to finish. If the animation is not part of an ongoing process, allow the user to either interrupt it or continue working in parallel.

Avoid unnecessary use of animation. If animation is used only for decorative effect, it can distract or even irritate the user.