Designing User Interface

[humble_learner]

Hi,

We need to design a new user interface for an existing VB based desktop application - to be developed using Windows Forms using C# .NET.

This is for a client who is quite finicky with user interface design and the final design might involve multiple discussions and changes.

What would be a suitable tool to draw up wireframes as part of the discussion - which can be converted into the final Windows Form after the User Interface look and feel has been decided ?

[BigEd781]

Umm... Visual Studio? Just place controls on a form that don't do much of anything, or populate some simple dummy data.

[kabben]

I'd have to agree, VS is great for quick mockups in front of a client. Also you could do the unthinkable, use a piece of paper and a pencil. Shocking I know, but some still use those ancient implements

Regards

ps, If your redesigning an existing UI you could also "cut out" each major segment of the UI and using any art package create layers which consist of the major segments and have the client play with those layouts. I've done this before for CMS.

[humble_learner]

Thank you both for your quick answers. Looks like Visual Studio would be the way to go.

If your redesigning an existing UI you could also "cut out" each major segment of the UI and using any art package create layers which consist of the major segments and have the client play with those layouts. I've done this before for CMS.

Could you please let me know more about this ?

[kabben]

Nothing more to say about it really.

You simply take a screen shot of the current UI you are working on. Split the key elements that make the UI up into sections with an art package like photoshop then put each on a different layer. then just move them around. its a quick and simple way if a little rough. It's handy if your looking to show a proposal and dont want to install VS on a laptop...

It's definitely not ideal but its a quick and simple way if you need too.

Hope this helps.

[humble_learner]

Thanks kabben !

[humble_learner]

Some people I have consulted with have indicated tools like : www.axure.com and SketchFlow for rapid prototyping.

[Arjay]

Instead of using WinForms, consider using WPF.

I can't even begin to tout all of WPF's advantages over WinForms, but in a nutshell, WPF has way more flexibility with styling, layout and customization than WinForms.

If your customer is interested in the newer Vista/Win7 transparent stylings, WPF can do that. If the customer is interested in the more traditional look, WPF can do that (or switch between the two styles on the fly).

With WPF, you can also use the Expression family of tools for rapid prototyping.

[humble_learner]

Is it easy for someone who has worked solely on Windows Forms to adapt quickly to WPF ? We have 2 weeks time before discussions with a customer, and would that be enough to get to speed on WPF - or is it a completely new paradigm ?

[TechGnome]

1) Is it easy for someone who has worked solely on Windows Forms to adapt quickly to WPF ?
For me the transition hasn't been that smooth.

2)We have 2 weeks time before discussions with a customer, and would that be enough to get to speed on WPF - or is it a completely new paradigm ?
It's a whole new animal. Given the time constraint, might be easier to just go with WinForms for now.

My opinion is mixed. At the end of the day, the app has to work. Transparency or not, if the user clicks the button to save their data and it crashes, the app is a failure. WPF isn't THE tool... it is A tool.

-tg

[BigEd781]

I agree. I don't know that a project for a customer with a two week deadline on mockups is a good time to learn a new paradigm. Play with WPF on your own time and maybe you will comfortable enough with it by the time you start the actual project, but I might consider doing the proof of concept in WinForms. I don't know, you could always toy around with Expression Blend and see how it goes.

[TechGnome]

Case in point... I was using an existing WPF project from a tutorial I had gone through. I wanted to add a few things to test a theory... part of that was adding a button... which took me 15 minutes to figure it out and get it positioned right so that it wasn't covering up the grid... and that doesn't count the time it took to wire it up. Something that would have taken me 5 minutes to do in WinForms - to include wiring it up. WPF has it's place... mockups and prototypes are not it. Unless you are a true graphicy designer and not a programmer... in which case Expressions or Expressions Blend will be better, faster and more natural.

-tg

[Arjay]

Sure, WPF does have a learning curve, but if the schedule allows, it's worth making IMO because of the reasons I've outlined earlier.

Still if you need to come up with mockups in 2 weeks, it may not be the best approach. On the other hand, perhaps you can negotiate with your customer that you'll do the initial mockups, but reserve the right to switch to something else.

[humble_learner]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Makes things quite clear !