4. Menu Driven Interface

This type of interface lets you interact with a computer or device by working your way through a series of screens or menus.

Think about your iPod or mobile phone, they both use a menu driven interface. You are presented with a menu, you make a choice and then the next menu appears on the screen. You make another choice and so on.

Cashpoint machines (ATMs) are another good example of a menu driven interface.

Menu driven interfaces can also be verbal rather than visual. Have you ever made a telephone call and been asked to 'press 1 for abc, press 2 for def, press 3 for ghi'?

Most of the software that you use have menu interfaces. You can use many features of the software by working your way through the menu options. Have a look at the menus in your word processor or spreadsheet package and see how many different choices you are given.

A well designed menu interface is simple to use, you just follow the instructions and make your choices.