User Interface Style Guides

This page lists all user interface style guides of the major software manufacturers. User interface style guides are documents that enable user interface designers to design for consistency with the best practises supplied by the manufacturers of the chosen platform / operating system / programming language.

Apple
IBM
Microsoft
Open Software Foundation (Osf)
SAP
SUN Microsystems

Apple - Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines

IBM

Object-Oriented Interface Design: IBM Common User Access Guidelines, (CUA)

"The mother of all style guides". This style guide was published by IBM in 1992 for the IBM/OS2 operating system. On 352 pages the reader will find comprehensive guidance for appropriate use of all known GUI controls. The guidance is still up to date and can be applied to Windows applications or any kind of GUI's. This book is an excellent reference tool for all user interface designers.

Microsoft

Windows Vista User Experience Guidelines
Official Microsoft Style Guide for user interface design based on Windows Vista.
Windows XP - Guidelines for Applications
Additional information (to below referenced Microsoft Windows User Experience) for user interface design based on Windows XP.
Microsoft Windows User Experience
Official Microsoft Style Guide for user interface design based on Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. Available at Amazon.com.

Open Software Foundation (Osf)

Osf/Motif Style Guide: Revision 1.2 (Osf/Motif Series)
Style guide for user interface design using Osf/Motif, Release 1.2. Available at Amazon.com

SAP - R/3 Style Guide

SUN Microsystems

Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide and Certification Checklist
The style requirements consist of the Motif 2.1 requirements with Solaris Common Desktop Environment-specific additions. Though Solaris 9 software predates the Open Group's CDE 2.1 standard, you might also want to consult the Style Guide Set published by the Open Group for additional style considerations.
- HTML-Version
- PDF-Datei (290 pages, 1,3 MByte)
Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines (2nd Edition)
Style guide for user interface design of JAVA based applications
Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines: Advanced Topics
Additional guidance for user interface design of JAVA based applications

How to Order

Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you seek for our support or have questions. We will elaborate a proposal that is tailored to the specific requirements of your project.

ProContext GmbH
Von-Werth-Strasse 33-35
50670 Cologne
Germany

Phone:	+49 221 355 040-0
Fax:	+49 221 355 040-25
E-Mail:	info@procontext.com