Unfortunately most UIs are done by programmers, not UI Designers. Design of Everyday Things is a great book to understand what User Interface Design is about. One of the most basic concepts is "affordance." A door handle "affords" itself to be pulled, while a push plate "affords" to be pushed. An to echo what others have said, consistency. This the Mac OS has done very well. Consistency helps the user learn the "language" of the interface. It is impossible to create an interface with no learning curve, but it should be very small.
Slashdot Mirror
Unfortunately most UIs are done by programmers, not UI Designers. Design of Everyday Things is a great book to understand what User Interface Design is about. One of the most basic concepts is "affordance." A door handle "affords" itself to be pulled, while a push plate "affords" to be pushed. An to echo what others have said, consistency. This the Mac OS has done very well. Consistency helps the user learn the "language" of the interface. It is impossible to create an interface with no learning curve, but it should be very small.