What is all this?

Though it may sound like a group of no-good thugs, the Interface Mafia is actually a group of volunteers who are interested in making computer software easier to use. We hope to accomplish this by giving programmers helpful feedback on their software, and by educating the computer-using public about good interface design.

What's an interface?

A software program's interface determines how the user interacts with the software. An interface may consist of windows, buttons, menus and icons, or it may involved more specialized technologies such as speech recognition or special hardware. If you think of a computer program as being an automobile, the "heart" of the program is like the engine, fuel tank and drive shaft; the interface includes the steering wheel, the gauges and the pedals.

So what? Who cares?

We believe that a program's interface is of primary importance in making the program useful to the user. No matter how well written a program is, a poor interface can make it useless. People work more efficiently when they use software with a well designed interface.

Unfortunately, interface design is often a sorely neglected step in the development process. We feel that if programmers spend more time planning and designing their interface, they will produce higher-quality software.

How can you help?

The Interface Mafia will review the interface of software submitted to us in order to help the programmer improve it. These reviews are meant to be helpful and constructive. As part of the process, we will post these reviews so that everyone may learn from them. For more details about the software review process, visit our Submission Page.

In addition, we periodically write articles on interface design and review commercially available software. All articles and reviews include online interactive discussion forms, so visitors to our site can post their comments and questions.

How can I get involved?

If you are a programmer and would like to have your software reviewed, visit our Submissions Page. If you would like to discuss interface design, visit our Articles and Reviews sections; every article and review includes an online discussion forum. To learn more about interface design, check out our Links page.

Think you've got what it takes to join the iMob? If you have a deep interest in interface design, learn how you can become a mafioso. You can also submit individual articles and reviews for publication on our site.