Rules to Better Interfaces (Windows Applications)

• Title Bar - Do you put the current document/project name as the first word of your title bar?
• Title Bar - Do you put your company URL in the title bar?
• Menu - Do you use icons in menu?
• Sound - Do you realize the importance of sounds to User Interface?
• Sound - Did you know that a message box automatically plays a beep?
• Long Process - Do you know how to make long-running processes user-friendly?
• Long Process - Do you show the status of progress bar on winform's title?
• Long Process - Do you know that long-running processes should allow to 'Skip' the processing (when appropriate)?
• Long Process - Do you use the word 'Cancel' (instead of 'Stop') to halt processes?
• Long Process - Do you know that you should show a progress bar and allow users to cancel?
• Very Long Process - Do you know that long-running processes should show a coffee cup?
• Long Process - Do you know that you should provide a detailed summary, play a sound and hide the progress bar at the end?
• Sample - Do you supply a sample database?
• Sample - Do your sample databases have good Naming Conventions?
• Sample - Do you avoid dropping a user's database when you attempt to create a database?
• Do you provide a warning before the program exits?
• Menu - Do you have a "Help | Training Videos" item?
• Menu - Do you have a standard "Help | About" form?
• Menu - Do you have your "Help | User Guide" online?
• Menu - Do you include a "Tools | Validate Data"?
• Menu - Do you know the 8 items every "Help" menu needs?