Applications of Rich User Experience

We now live in a digital world. We are deluged by electronic gadgets and we are drowning in the World Wide Web. Software is everywhere – in computers, cameras, phones, printers, stereos, fridges, cars, airplanes, cash registers, and kiosks. Software is very pervasive, and every piece of software that interacts with users requires a graphical user interface.
Few interfaces are great, yet the great majority are, not just bad, but terrible!!! For instance, when was the last time you tried, and succeeded, to configure your computer, program your cable box, adjust the clock on your portable radio, or reset some gages in your car dashboard.
Of course, not all applications are created equal – some require a higher degree of richness compared to others. Currently, web applications and websites suffer the most due to poor usability, lack of intuitive navigation, improper information architecture, and awful aesthetics. The web is getting old and in desperate need for renovation. After all, the web started as a communication tool, became a publication platform, and recently morphed into an application platform even though it remains ill suited for the latter despite the advent of new technologies such as DHTML, XHTML, AJAX, JavaFX, and RIA.
With the advent of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) along with higher users’ expectations, almost all software applications or websites, even the most mundane ones, can use a bit of enhancements in their graphical user interface. However, those applications or websites which need a Rich User Experience (RUE) the most are the following: