• Topics
• FAQs
• API Documentation
• Professional Services
• User Experience Dictionary
  • 5-second test
  • A/B Test
  • Accessibility
  • Brainstorming
  • Card Sorting
  • Clickable wireframe
  • Conceptual Model
  • End user
  • Eye tracking
  • Faceted Classification
  • Focus Group
  • Graphical user interface (GUI)
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
  • Information Architecture (IA)
  • Interaction Design (IxD)
  • Interface
  • Iterative Design
  • Learnability
  • Mental Model
  • Moderator
  • Navigation
  • Out-of-the-Box test
  • Paper prototype (Paper Prototyping)
  • Persona
  • Prototype
  • Rapid Prototyping
  • Requirements Engineering
  • Site Map
  • Storyboard
  • Think Aloud
  • Topic Map
  • Usability
  • Usability Testing
  • Use case
  • User Experience (UE)
  • User Research Methods
  • User Scenario
  • User interface design (UI design)
  • User-Centered Design (UCD)
• Important Notice

Interface

What is an interface?

An interface is a space in which two or more objects can come together and interact. A language, for instance, is an interface for two people who want to communicate ideas to each other. The importance of an interface is obvious: it determines how successful and efficient the interaction is. The term “interface” frequently comes up in connection with computers and human-computer interaction. In computer science and technology HI this term can refer to different things. Obvious examples of different interfaces are a user interface and a computer interface.

What is a user interface?

The term user interface refers to how a user interacts with technology. A user interface consists of input and output devices which ensure two-way communication. When a user interacts with a desktop computer, a user interface may consist of a mouse and a keyboard with which the user inputs information and a screen where the user can see the computer's response. A user interface is considered good when a user can achieve desired results with minimum input.

What is a software interface?

Software interface refers to software interaction and usually consists of a programming language, code or any other way of connection between different components or applications. With the help of interfaces programs and software can exchange information. An API or an application programming interface is an example of a software interface. An API includes various commands and specifications to help developers create programs compatible with each other.

Related terms

• Prototype
• Clickable Wireframe
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)

<< back to overview