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Use of Photos in Interaction Design

“The barrier between web pages and desktop software is beginning to disappear, and modern rich client user interface technologies such as Silverlight/WPF, Air, or Java FX enables designers to take the control over the whole user experience of a software product. Style guides for operating systems like MacOS or Windows become less important because software products are available on multiple platforms, incorporating the same custom design independently from OS-specific style guides. Software companies and other parties involved begin to use the power of a distinct visual design to express both their brand identity and custom interactive design solutions to the users.”

From Boxes and Arrows. Designers taking control of software interfaces can be a good thing and a bad thing. You start, of course, with common user assumption, for example, most software follows the Microsoft model and has the upper left navigation begin with File which leads to file management choices on a dropdown list. But these assumptions should be challenged over time and so this trend should be a good one.

What I liked most about this article, however, is that it is a great overview that explores how photos are used in software. For business people, it’s a great way to build a vocabulary that lets you discuss what you really like or don’t like in a software application that uses photos.

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