A method for predicting the impact of user interface design on software design

Abstract To achieve optimal separation between user interface and application, developers need a method for predicting the impact of user interface design on software design. The method presented here includes a set of system-theoretic abstractions for modeling components of a proposed user interface and application, a taxonomy of relationships for modeling the semantics of a wide range of potential connections between components, a procedure for analyzing a model of a proposed user interface design, and a set of tools for maintaining a collection of reusable design components, assembling components into a model, and analyzing the model. Two examples show how the method accounts for features of both user interface and application, provides guidance on software design, and exposes conflicting implications of design decisions.

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