Design for Software: A Playbook for Developers - Softcover

Klimczak, Erik

Softcover

ISBN 10: 111994290X ISBN 13: 9781119942900

Publisher: Wiley, 2013

Synopsis

A unique resource to help software developers create a desirable user experience

Today, top-flight software must feature a desirable user experience. This one-of-a-kind book creates a design process specifically for software, making it easy for developers who lack design background to create that compelling user experience. Appealing to both tech-savvy designers and creative-minded technologists, it establishes a hybrid discipline that will produce first-rate software. Illustrated in full color, it shows how to plan and visualize the design to create software that works on every level.

• Today's software demands attention to the quality of the user experience; this book guides you through a practical design process to achieve that goal
  
• Approaches the mechanics of design with a process inspired by art and science
  
• Avoids the abstract and moves step by step through techniques you can put to use immediately
  
• Covers planning your design, tested methods, how to visualize like a designer, psychology of design, and how to create software that developers will appreciate
  
• Explores such elements as choosing the right typeface and managing interactivity

Design for Software: A Playbook for Developers brings the art of good design together with the science of software development to create programs with pizazz.

About this title

About the Author

Erik Klimczak is a Creative Director in Chicago dedicated to making technology meaningful for his clients. He has assisted in the design and production of software for industries as diverse as healthcare, automobiles, finance, retail, law, entertainment, insurance, marketing, education, consumer products, gaming, sports, food and beverage, communications, media, security and more. As a hybrid technologist/artist, Klimczak is uniquely positioned to present design theory concepts to tech-minded professionals who don’t have a background in traditional design.

From the Back Cover

Creating Compelling User Experiences Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

One thing all truly great apps have in common is that they provide compelling user experiences. Not only do they function well, but they look beautiful and feel great to use.

Written by an author with academic training and years of real-world experience both in software development and graphic design, Design for Software teaches you a design process for creating apps that people love to use. Combining user psychology, ergonomics, traditional aesthetics, and software engineering, the author has created a unique design process that has been cherry-picked specifically for software. And you don’t need any prior graphic design experience to start using it in your projects immediately!

Erik Klimczak explains design theory in plain English, and he distils it into a set of practical techniques for:

• User research and competitive analysis
• Brainstorming and priming the creativity pump
• Sketching out ideas and organizing content
• Developing wireframes that describes flow and interaction
• Creating prototypes to get a better sense of overall look and feel
• Building prototypes to test interactivity and reveal ergonomic flows
• Trying out layouts, color palettes, and typography to get the project look and feel
• Adding personality and character with motion
• Managing interactivity―with tips on the importance of context and environment

Erik also supplies you with a goldmine of design patterns, and a companion website featuring design templates and links to useful resources.

Your total guide to visualizing and designing apps for all platforms that people love to use, Design for Software is a must-have resource for tech-savvy designers, creative technologies, and everyone in-between.

From the Inside Flap

Creating Compelling User Experiences Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

One thing all truly great apps have in common is that they provide compelling user experiences. Not only do they function well, but they look beautiful and feel great to use.

Written by an author with academic training and years of real-world experience both in software development and graphic design, Design for Software teaches you a design process for creating apps that people love to use. Combining user psychology, ergonomics, traditional aesthetics, and software engineering, the author has created a unique design process that has been cherry-picked specifically for software. And you don’t need any prior graphic design experience to start using it in your projects immediately!

Erik Klimczak explains design theory in plain English, and he distils it into a set of practical techniques for:

• User research and competitive analysis
• Brainstorming and priming the creativity pump
• Sketching out ideas and organizing content
• Developing wireframes that describes flow and interaction
• Creating prototypes to get a better sense of overall look and feel
• Building prototypes to test interactivity and reveal ergonomic flows
• Trying out layouts, color palettes, and typography to get the project look and feel
• Adding personality and character with motion
• Managing interactivity—with tips on the importance of context and environment

Erik also supplies you with a goldmine of design patterns, and a companion website featuring design templates and links to useful resources.

Your total guide to visualizing and designing apps for all platforms that people love to use, Design for Software is a must-have resource for tech-savvy designers, creative technologies, and everyone in-between.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 111994290X
• ISBN 13: 9781119942900
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320