SMC-S-023 VOL 1

Abstract

These style requirements are consistent with section 5.15 on user-computer interface in Military Standard (MIL-STD) 1472F and references other military standards providing direction with relevance to user interface design for DOD systems. These requirements also addresses federal standards for information accessibility by individuals with disabilities. <br>This document provides style requirements for applications that have a GNOME,1 Java, Motif, or Microsoft (MS) Windows GUI or a Web user interface. The requirements for GUIs conform to the style defined in documentation provided for these interfaces and implemented on Linux, UNIX, and MS Windows platforms. In addition, the requirements incorporate best commercial practices as published in the technical literature on user interface design. An integrated set of requirements is provided whenever possible, with separate direction indicated where the styles differ. Requirements for Web user interfaces are based on features available in version 3.2 or later of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and incorporate guidance available in the technical literature on Web design. <br>The requirements address user interface design for software installed on workstations with a color monitor, keyboard, and pointing device and available in office-like workspaces with normal ambient lighting. The requirements do not address character-based user interfaces or offer direction regarding migration from this type of interface to a GUI-based one. The requirements focus on the style attributes that compliant software must possess in order to be accepted into the segment repository and do not dictate a methodology or set of tools for user interface development. This document focuses on user interface design and does not provide environmental or ergonomic requirements on topics such as lighting and noise or workstation design and layout. <br><strong>Purpose</strong> <br>This document defines the user interface style to be delivered by software developed for the USAF space systems. The specifications provided here emphasize commonality in "look and feel" because it is a key element of usability. Compliance is especially important since the applications in a system can be built from multiple segments, each produced by a different organization. In this document, the term "application" is used to refer to a user application, i.e., the software with which users interact to perform one or more related operational tasks. The tasks in an application can be performed by software taken from different sources. As a result, an application may contain one or more segments, and a single segment may be present in one or more applications. <br>A common "look and feel" is one that provides consistency in the appearance and behavior of user interface objects while allowing flexibility for addressing operational requirements. Implementing a common "look and feel" enables users to identify, remember, and predict the rules and organization of a system. By building consistency in the user interface, users can develop an effective and efficient model of how the system works and can generalize this knowledge to other systems. According to Mayhew in <u>Principles and Guidelines in Software User Interface Design</u>, a consistent user interface is one that provides: <br>&#8212; Consistent location of certain types of information on screens, <br>&#8212; Consistent syntax of commands in a command language, <br>&#8212; Similar execution of analogous operations in different applications, <br>&#8212; Consistent design of command names and abbreviations, <br>&#8212; Consistent grammatical form of error messages and instructions, <br>&#8212; Consistent design of captions and fields on forms and displays, <br>&#8212; Consistent dialog style for different functions, and <br>&#8212; Terminology consistent with the users' existing vocabulary.