# Simplified user interface

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A **simplified user interface** (**SUI**) is an illustration of a [software interface](/source/Graphical_user_interface) that reduces irrelevant information to abstract shapes to create a "stylised but instantly recognisable image" that conveys the contextually important details.[1]

Similar in look to [wireframes](/source/Website_wireframe), SUIs have uses in marketing,[1] [user onboarding](/source/User_onboarding) (for instance by [Slack](/source/Slack_(software))[2] and [Google Analytics](/source/Google_Analytics)[3]), and [technical communication](/source/Technical_communication).[4][5]

As well as improving the speed and clarity of communication, for those creating documentation SUIs offer a degree of future-proofing against incremental changes to the interface,[1] and aid the translation of documents into other languages.[6]

## Further reading

- Johnson, Tom (19 January 2019). ["Write the Docs podcast episode 33: simplified user interfaces, with Anton Bollen"](https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/wtd-episode-33-simplified-user-interfaces/). *I'd Rather Be Writing*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- Saremba, Leonie & Bollen, Anton (February 2021). ["Simplified graphics and screenshots in software documentation"](https://www.tcworld.info/e-magazine/technical-writing/simplified-graphics-and-screenshots-in-software-documentation-1102/). *TCWorld*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- Segelin, Steve (2018). ["Graphic content warning: the pros, cons, and alternatives to screenshots"](https://www.writethedocs.org/videos/portland/2018/graphic-content-warning-the-pros-cons-and-alternatives-to-screenshots-steve-stegelin/). *WriteTheDocs*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- Cassidy, Kat. ["Creating beautiful SUIs"](https://katcassidy.com/blog/creating-beautiful-suis). *katcassidy.com*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

## References

1. Bollen, Anton (7 August 2019). ["Simplified graphics: meet the new design style for technical communication"](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simplified-graphics-meet-new-design-style-technical-anton-bollen/). *LinkedIn*. Retrieved 27 June 2021. (Originally published as 'SUI: revolutionising graphic effects', *Communicator*, Summer 2019, [Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC)](/source/Institute_of_Scientific_and_Technical_Communicators).)

1. Simon, Justin. ["3 great examples of simplified user interface"](https://www.techsmith.com/blog/simplified-user-interface-examples). *TechSmith*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

1. ["Discover"](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/#/a34931395w63511397p65167856/report/discover). *Google Analytics*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

1. Ballard, Paul (Summer 2021). "The globots are coming". *Communicator*. ISTC. pp. 14–15.

1. ["Simplified user interface"](https://www.stc.org/?s=Simplified+User+Interface). *[Society for Technical Communication (STC)](/source/Society_for_Technical_Communication)*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

1. Wiedemer, Michele (19 January 2019). ["Simple solutions to evergreen images"](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simple-solutions-evergreen-images-michele-wiedemer/). *LinkedIn*. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simplified user interface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_user_interface) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_user_interface?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.