Rules to Better Access UI

When designing their UI, Access developers often make these common mistakes:

• Non-standard fonts - for example, making fonts bold or using different fonts on the same form
• Different background colors for labels and controls - this will confuse users because it's not standard with Windows, and the colors are distracting
• No standard OK/Cancel button pair - it's always a good idea to do as Windows does because users are familiar with Windows dialogs. "Save" and "Cancel" are non-standard, for example.
• Lots of different forms - having a separate form for every block of data that needs to be entered can become a confusing and tedious process.

With the new breed of icons, themes and form layouts, you will try and steer away from the old Access look. Aim for a cleaner, less cluttered, and quicker to navigate look. With just a little time you can fix up your Access forms. Try these tips and see how you can transform even an Access Application!