Inventions on GUI aesthetics A TRIZ based analysis

Aesthetics or " look and feel " is one of the most important features of any graphical user interface. Better aesthetics makes the interface user-friendlier and more popular. Better aesthetics helps the user to understand the meaning of various components and memorize the navigation paths. A better look and feel ultimately makes a GUI more efficient and effective. Various methods are adopted to improve the aesthetics of a GUI, such as; By using colors By using more dimensions By using pictorial icons By using (stereophonic) sound By using better layout, and so on. The developer faces various limitations while implementing aesthetics in a GUI. For example, the pictorial icons are more attractive and meaningful but they occupy more screen space. As the screen space is limited, it restricts the usage of large pictorial icons. One option may be to increase the screen size by implementing a large virtual desktop or multiple virtual desktops. But it is difficult for the user to navigate such virtual desktops. A three-dimensional view may be more attractive and appropriate in some situations but implementing a three-dimensional view is difficult in a two dimensional workspace. It is important to provide links to all the features on the desktop or a quick access panel. But too many icons or buttons sometimes creates confusion. For example, the early models of VCRs had a large number of buttons on their faceplate, which although attractive were causing confusion. Hence the later model of VCRs had only a few essential buttons on their faceplate and all other features were cleverly put somewhere behind a sliding door accessible only when required. Thus it is important to restrict the temptation of putting everything on the first screen or load the rarely used buttons on the toolbar. One should ensure that the aesthetics of a GUI is not compromising with its accessibility and other important features. Background problem It is easy to achieve 3D effects in 3D graphics computer system by rendering objects on the 2D raster display using perspective algorithm. But 3D effects are not realistically achieved in 2D graphics computer systems. The problem is how to render 3D effects in a 2D raster display? Solution provided by the invention Naughton et al. invented a method (Patent 5864343, assigned by Sun Microsystems, Jan 99) to achieve 3D effects in 2D graphics computer systems. Normally the 2D graphics use only two coordinates (x and …