Many kinds of objects are also containers of other objects. Users interact with objects through views. Typical user tasks involve working with a variety of object properties, using various object behaviors, and working with several objects at once. In practice it's difficult to support all necessary tasks using a single view of an object. Objects typically must provide multiple views, each specialized for a specific set of tasks.
Views span all presentation forms, including nonvisual forms such as audio.
The basis of OVID is a methodical analysis and design approach to identifying objects, defining views for sets of desired tasks, and specifying the interaction techniques used within each view to accomplish tasks. With OVID, an interface designer can identify objects that make users' tasks most efficient. An OOUI enables a user to focus on objects and work with them directly, reflecting the user's real-world way of doing work. This contrasts with the traditional application-oriented interface, in which users must find a program appropriate for both the task they need to do and the type of information they want to use. Then they must start the program and use a mechanism such as an Open dialog box to locate the information and use it.