The only major problem with it is that it is a textbook, written to fit into a given number of pages. This means, alas, that a lot of good stuff from the second edition had to be taken out to fit in new stuff. So, one solution is to buy both the third and the second editions, and while you are at it get your hands on his "Sparks of innovation" which is most interesting despite its old age. The sections on touchscreens are incomparable, to give but one example. Another solution is to get Shneiderman to write a real big fat book on HCI!

There are enough textbooks or collected readings available for all the courses. There are also so many web design books around that sometimes I want to scream ENOUGH! What is missing is a recent reference book and an introductory text. I wish Shneiderman would delay the fourth edition for a few more years and get a _real_ HCI introduction and reference out.

In the meantime, this third edition is the next best thing, but it has to be coupled with "Sparks of innovation", Don Norman's books, Jakob Nielsen's books, and a dash of Tognazzini, Tufte, and Tex Avery.


Foundation book for HCI   August 3, 2001
19 out of 22 found this review helpful

I have all three editions of Designing the User Interface and have used the principles described in them for years. This is that book that describes the ýthree pillars of successful user-interface developmentý 1.) Guidelines Documents & Process, 2.) User Interface Software Tools, and 3.) Expert Reviews & Usability Testing. It also defines acceptance testing in terms of the user (time to learn specific functions, speed of task performance, rate of errors, retention of commands, subjective satisfaction). And provides the guiding principles for good user interface (e.g. direct manipulation). One of the most interesting areas covered is the information visualization strategy that implements dynamic visualization using direct manipulation. The mantra of ýoverview, zoom and filter, then details on demandý should be wallpaper on the screens of software developers producing data presentation displays.

This book is about strategies for effective human-computer interface. It includes guidelines, but itýs not a cookbook of things to do to get there. That these strategies and guidelines are not generally adopted and applied is evidenced by the many poor user interfaces currently available. (I once spent an incredible amount of time totally frustrated simply trying to move from the home page of one of the largest electronic manufacturers in Europe.)

This is a text book and its organization is biased toward academia, with many references to other works and a text book style. Each chapter ends with a researcherýs agenda and practitionerýs summary, but still practitionerýs may complain that the book is too theoretical. To them I would comment that ýthere is nothing so useful as a good theoryý, and check out [...] for examples of the results of applying the ideas in the book.

Ben Shneiderman is one of the legends of HCI and his work includes core principles for the discipline. This book is a must have for all serious students of human-computer interaction and provides an important foundation for developers of user interfaces.


A Must Have   March 29, 2000
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

Designing the User Interface is the must have in matter of Graphic User Interface. The book provides lots of stragies regarding GUI implementation, How to avoid common problems, and is full of examples. It covers almost every possible topics. But, as Web Designer, It lacks a lot on this matter. I would have love to see more about it. Maybe the next edition. Despite this, It is a book that every designer, programmer should have.


The seminal HCI book   June 11, 2005
Aminion
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

No other book in the field of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) is as broad, has so many useful guidelines and is a better bibliography as Shneiderman DTUI (Designing the User Interface).

DTUI will *not* give you in-depth knowledge of every aspect of HCI, because that's an impossible task for a single book.
Instead, DTUI focuses on giving you an overview and understanding of central HCI concepts coupled with useful everyday tips, rules and guidelines.

The passionate HCI student will in DTUI also discover a comprehensive guide to the books and articles that have shaped HCI throughout the years. (Reading the HCI body of work, you will soon discover than DTUI is one of the most cited books in the field, an indication of how influential it is.)

To teachers in search of a introductionary HCI book for their classes, I strongly recommend DTUI. "Interaction design" by Jennifer Preece, et al. is another fine book that's has less theory in favor of the practical.


An excellent revision   July 27, 2004
Fisher Man (New Jersey)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

As most reviewers have noted, this is a classic and must-have book in the field of HCI. This fourth edition--newly published in March 2004--has been thoroughly revised to include much material related to the WWW. It does appear that Shneiderman took care to go through each chapter and remove less relevant material in favor of including new topics that have come up since the last edition was written.