User Interface Design based on RIA

Posted by Charles | February 11, 2008 .

Web applications which have the functionality and features of conventional desktop applications are known as Rich Internet Applications or RIAs. RIAs like Ajax and Flex are now being used to provide a number of enhancements to User Interface design; adding more sophistication and giving user interactivity an entirely new meaning.

RIA contribution to User Interface Design -

Enhancement in User Interface Responsiveness – With the help of Rich Internet Applications, server and client computers can communicate without the necessity of any page refresh. In this manner, within just a single screen, Web applications can support a variety of complex user interactivity. The information requested can be viewed on the same page on which the request was made. This allows users to interact in real-time.
Improved User Interface – Other than better user interactivity, Rich Internet Applications have also revolutionized the usage of animation, sounds and graphics in improving the user interface. RIAs allow a variety of options for visual interface design. The graphic formats which are crafted using Rich Internet Applications use limited network bandwidth. Thus, designers are able to use more graphical elements and sound in a Web site with the help of RIA technologies.

Developers, with the use of Rich Internet Applications, can now offer Web site users better User Interface and greater functionality required for application interfaces. This allows the creation of more user-friendly applications. For ecommerce, it also has a direct effect on the bottom line, as users become more productive, drop out rates go down and consequently, the number of completed transactions increase.