Essentials of Interface Design
Welcome to my website on Interface Design. This site has been developed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for ED722, a course toward my Ph. D. at Capella University. In this course we are exploring the concepts of how interface design impacts online education. Almost all communication in online learning is visual. For this communication to be effective, the instructional designer must consider both functionality and appeal. In addition, this course addresses topics such as screen layout, color, navigation, and the use of graphics and video.
The course also deals with the non-visual interfaces of sound and user input via keyboard, mouse, voice, and touch. Learners will receive practical guidance for designing effective and attractive interfaces. Throughout this course, learners develop an instructional website to demonstrate their knowledge of the course goals and outcomes.
By the end of this course, a successful learner should be able to:
- Apply principles of human-computer interaction to page layout and screen design. (1c)
- Create or select visuals that instruct, orient, and/or motivate. (1d)
- Present and receive information in a manner that is appropriate for the norms and tasks of the group or team. (1g)
- Determine characteristics of the target population influencing learning and transfer. (7a)
- Analyze, evaluate, and select learner profile data for use in a particular design situation.(7b)
- Identify environmental and cultural factors that influence learning, attitudes, and performance. (8c)
- Generate multiple solutions to a given problem situation. (10a)
- Assess the consequences and implications of design decisions on the basis of prior experience, intuition, and knowledge. (10c)
- Use evaluation data as a guide for revision of products and programs. (21a)
Purpose
The purpose of this site is to provide information on the important aspects of a well-designed website that offers ease of use for its viewers. Although the focus of our course is on website design for educational purposes, my site contains essential concepts applicable to any informational website that intends to receive a high level of user satisfaction.
Audience
This site has been developed to explain the concepts of Interface Design pertinent to instructional designers of corporate and education programs who are considering developing websites as a support to online or face to face courses in any field. 
Meet Eileen
I am a faculty chair at Capella University where I have been teaching online since 2002. My main emphasis is teaching the first course required of learners seeking a Bachelor Degree in Information Technology or in Business. Among my faculty chair activities is course improvements and mentoring other faculty.
Prior to teaching for Capella, I had the opportunity to teach business and technology skills at Michigan 's largest technical school. This is where my passion for integrating technology with soft skills was ignited. This led to new opportunities to author textbooks, publish articles to help teachers, and serve as Michigan's IT Consultant for our state education department.
For more information see Bio of Eileen M Dittmar