Written from the perspectives of both a user interface designer and a software engineer, this book demonstrates rather than just describes how to build technology that cooperates with people. It begins with a set of interaction design principles that apply to a broad range of technology, illustrating with examples from the Web, desktop software, cell phones, PDAs, cameras, voice menus, interactive TV, and more. It goes on to show how these principles are applied in practice during the development process -- when the ideal design can conflict with other engineering goals. The authors demonstrate how their team built a full-featured instant messenger application for the wireless Palm and PC. Through this realistic example, they describe the many subtle tradeoffs that arise between design and engineering goals. Through simulated conversations, they show how they came to understand each other's goals and constraints and found solutions that addressed both of their needs -- and ultimately the needs of users who just want their technology to work.

Most programmers' fear of user interface (UI) programming comes from their fear of doing UI design. They think that UI design is like graphic design—the mysterious process by which creative, latte-drinking, all-black-wearing people produce cool-looking, artistic pieces. Most programmers see themselves as analytic, logical thinkers instead—strong at reasoning, weak on artistic judgment, and incapable of doing UI design. In this brilliantly readable book, author Joel Spolsky proposes simple, logical rules that can be applied without any artistic talent to improve any user interface, from traditional GUI applications to websites to consumer electronics. Spolsky's primary axiom, the importance of bringing the program model in line with the user model, is both rational and simple. In a fun and entertaining way, Spolky makes user interface design easy for programmers to grasp. After reading User Interface Design for Programmers, you'll know how to design interfaces with the user in mind. You'll learn the important principles that underlie all good UI design, and you'll learn how to perform usability testing that works.

"This book provides a well-rounded synopsis of the state-of-the-art in perceptual-based multimedia design"--Provided by publisher.

Beginning with studio practices and safety rules, this information-packed handbook is appropriate for both newcomers and experienced dyers but assumes that readers have a serious interest in textile design. An overview of dyeing starts with fibers and fabrics and discusses all aspects of the dyes favored by textile studios--fiber reactive, acid, vat, and disperse--before explaining discharging, screen printing, monoprinting, stamping, stenciling, resist dyeing, devore, and painting. Would-be fabric artists are advised along the way to identify a personal approach to dyeing--free spirit? rule-follower?--and color photographs of work by today's top fiber artists elucidate prevailing styles. Recipes and techniques are accompanied by step-by-step instructions with photographs, and a concealed spiral binding allows the book to lie flat. Ten appendices include a worksheet for recording chemicals, procedures, and costs for all projects; a guide to washing fabric; descriptions of stock solutions, thickeners, and steaming; a metric conversion table; and a guide to water temperatures.

This book explains and illustrates the rules that are given in the Eurocode for designing steel structures subjected to fire. After the first introductory chapter, Chapter 2 explains how to calculate the mechanical actions (loads) in the fire situation based on the information given in EN 1990 and EN 1991. Chapter 3 presents the models to be used to represent the thermal action created by the fire. Chapter 4 describes the procedures to be used to calculate the temperature of the steelwork from the temperature of the compartment and Chapter 5 shows how the information given in EN 1993-1-2 is used to determine the loan bearing capacity of the steel structure. The methods use to evaluate the fire resistance of bolted and welded connections are described in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 describes a computer program called "Elefir-EN" which is based on the simple calculation model given in the Eurocode and allows designers to quickly and accurately calculate the performance of steel components in the fire situation. Chapter 9 looks at the issues that a designer may be faced with when assessing the fire resistance of a complete building. This is done via a case study and addresses most of the concepts presented in the earlier Chapters. The concepts and fire engineering procedures given in the Eurocodes may see complex those more familiar with the prescriptive approach. This publication sets out the design process in a logical manner giving practical and helpful advice and easy to follow worked examples that will allow designer to exploit the benefits of this new approach to fire design.