ABSTRACT
A menu can be defined as a set of options, displayed on a screen, where the selection and execution of one (or more) of the options results in a change in the state of the interface. The contents of a single screen will be referred to as a menu panel. Menu panels usually consist of a list of options. The options may consist of words or icons. The word or icon conveys some information about the consequences of selecting that option. When one of the options is selected and executed a system action occurs that usually results in a visual change on the screen. The complete set of options is usually distributed over many different menu panels. This allows the system to prompt the user with options that are likely to be useful and to hide options that are unlikely or illegal, However, layering the options across many menu panels also requires that the user be able to navigate between panels to find options that are not available on the panel currently in view. This brief description of a prototypical menu-driven interface highlights the fundamental issues of menu design that will be discussed. That is, how can designers choose good names for options, how should the options be organized within and between panels, and which selection technique should be implemented.
