Simplified user interface
A simplified user interface (SUI) is an illustration of a software interface that reduces irrelevant information to abstract shapes to create a "stylised but instantly recognisable image" that conveys the contextually important details.{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simplified-graphics-meet-new-design-style-technical-anton-bollen/ |title=Simplified graphics: meet the new design style for technical communication |last=Bollen |first=Anton |date=7 August 2019 |website=LinkedIn |quote=(Originally published as 'SUI: revolutionising graphic effects', Communicator, Summer 2019, Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC).) |access-date=27 June 2021}}
Similar in look to wireframes, SUIs have uses in marketing, user onboarding (for instance by Slack{{cite web | title=3 great examples of simplified user interface | url=https://www.techsmith.com/blog/simplified-user-interface-examples | first=Justin | last=Simon |website=TechSmith|access-date=27 June 2021}} and Google Analytics
{{cite web | title=Discover | website=Google Analytics | url=https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/#/a34931395w63511397p65167856/report/discover|access-date=27 June 2021}}
), and technical communication.{{cite magazine |title=The globots are coming | first=Paul | last=Ballard | date=Summer 2021 |periodical=Communicator | publisher=ISTC| pages=14–15}}{{cite web | title=Simplified user interface | url=https://www.stc.org/?s=Simplified+User+Interface| website=Society for Technical Communication (STC) |access-date=27 June 2021}}
As well as improving the speed and clarity of communication, for those creating documentation SUIs offer a degree of future-proofing against incremental changes to the interface, and aid the translation of documents into other languages.{{cite web | title=Simple solutions to evergreen images | first=Michele |last=Wiedemer |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simple-solutions-evergreen-images-michele-wiedemer/ | date=19 January 2019 |website=LinkedIn | accessdate=27 June 2021}}
Further reading
- {{cite web | title=Write the Docs podcast episode 33: simplified user interfaces, with Anton Bollen | first=Tom | last=Johnson | date=19 January 2019 | url=https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/wtd-episode-33-simplified-user-interfaces/ | website=I'd Rather Be Writing | accessdate=27 June 2021}}
- {{cite web | title=Simplified graphics and screenshots in software documentation | url=https://www.tcworld.info/e-magazine/technical-writing/simplified-graphics-and-screenshots-in-software-documentation-1102/ | first1=Leonie |last1=Saremba | first2=Anton | last2=Bollen | date=February 2021 | website=TCWorld | accessdate=27 June 2021}}
- {{cite web | title=Graphic content warning: the pros, cons, and alternatives to screenshots | first=Steve | last=Segelin | url=https://www.writethedocs.org/videos/portland/2018/graphic-content-warning-the-pros-cons-and-alternatives-to-screenshots-steve-stegelin/| date=2018 |website=WriteTheDocs| accessdate=27 June 2021}}
- {{cite web | title=Creating beautiful SUIs | first=Kat | last=Cassidy | url=https://katcassidy.com/blog/creating-beautiful-suis | website=katcassidy.com | accessdate=27 June 2021}}
References
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