Look and feel design

Guidelines

Cool design is suitable for screens intended for infrequent display, such as tutorials. The features that attract the user’s attention are most suitable for warning message design.

Modest design does not divert the users’ attention from what they are doing. This feature makes modest design proper for routine operation.

Explanations

In normal operation, and especially in problem solving, animation and sound must be avoided because they are distracting.
Animation and sound are most adequate for attracting the user’s attention to exceptional situations, especially risky situations.

Example: Color Selection

Which color should we choose for the screen background?

Modest colors are adequate for normal operation because they do not distract (...) the users’ attention from the main task. However, they are not adequate for attracting the users’ attention to exceptional situations. If the colors are modest, users may miss the significance of warning messages about risky situations, and they may not notice that they are working in the wrong mode.