Design & Usability — The Amigot Model

Guiding Principles of Design and Usability for Amigot Platforms, Players and Applications

A well-designed user interface for Amigot platforms, players and applications is comprehensible and controllable, helping users to view and experience content successfully and efficiently. Effective user interfaces are developed based on principles of human interface design and the constantly evolving world of web 2.0. They are founded upon a long history of human-computer interaction research, cognitive psychology, and design best practices. Amigot Corp employs all of the following concepts in designing custom technology for our clients. 

 Usefulness

• Value — The technology should provide necessary utilities and address the real needs of users.
• Relevance — The information and functions provided to the user should be relevant to the user's understanding of the web and how it works.

Consistency

• Consistency and Standards — Follow appropriate industry standards and conventions for web technology and video platforms. Within an application (or a suite of applications), make sure that actions, terminology, and commands are used consistently. 
• Real-World Conventions — Use commonly understood concepts, terms and metaphors, follow real-world conventions (when appropriate), and present everything in a natural and logical order.

Simplicity

• Simplicity — Reduce clutter and eliminate any unnecessary or irrelevant elements. 
• Visibility — Keep the most commonly used options more visible (and the other options easily accessible).
• Self-Evidency — Design a system to be usable without instruction by the appropriate target user of the platform, player or application. Display data in a manner that is clear and obvious to the appropriate user. 

Communication

• Feedback — Provide appropriate, clear, and timely opportunities for user feedback. 
• Structure — Use organization to reinforce meaning. Put related things together, and keep unrelated things separate. 
• Help and Documentation — Ensure that any instructions are concise and focused on supporting and enhancing the user's experience.

Efficiency

• Efficacy — Accommodate a new user's continuous advancement in knowledge and skill of the technology. Do not impede efficient use by a skilled, experienced user. 
• Shortcuts — Allow experienced users to work more quickly by providing abbreviations, function keys, macros, or other accelerators, and allowing customization or tailoring of frequent actions.
• User Control — Make users the initiators of actions (rather than the responders) to increase the users' sense that they are in charge of their own viewing and web experience. 

Additional Design Rules for Web 2.0 Sites

In addition to the above principles, Amigot incorporates some of the following design rules (when appropriate to your project) that have guided the development of some of the best web 2.0 sites.

• Central Layout
• Minimal Columns
• Separate Top Section
• Solid Areas of Screen Real-Estate
• Simple Navigation
• Bold Logos
• Bigger Text
• Bold Text Introductions
• Strong Colors
• Rich Surfaces
• Gradients
• Reflections