However, many applications interrupt the user to ask stupid questions, provide meaningless information, or require the user to make what should be an obvious selection. Improper design of the visual elements in an application can often result in applications that are difficult to read and difficult to use. The improper use color in an application can seriously impede the usability of the application. The terminology used in many applications often leads the user to feel that the interface has been written in a foreign language. We provide a number of examples of these 'programmerisms'.
Error messages are the antithesis of proper application design.
They are often ambiguous, rude, and all too often, incorrect, blaming the user for failures of the programmer. Tabbed Dialogs can be a wonderful solution for complex design problems. Here are some examples of a good idea gone bad. Metaphors can greatly enhance the usability of applications when properly used. When improperly applied, well, they can leave much to be desired.