The capacity for perception depends on the amount, the kind and the availability of past experiences.... We see familiar things more clearly than we see objects about which we have no stock of memories.
— Aldous Huxley
USERS OF WEB DOCUMENTS don't just look at information, they interact with it in novel ways that have no precedents in paper document design. The graphic user interface (GUI) of a computer system comprises the interaction metaphors, images, and concepts used to convey function and meaning on the computer screen. It also includes the detailed visual characteristics of every component of the graphic interface and the functional sequence of interactions over time that produce the characteristic look and feel of Web pages and hypertext linked relations. Graphic design and visual "signature" graphics are not used simply to enliven Web pages — graphics are integral to the user's experience with your site. In interactive documents graphic design cannot be separated from issues of interface design.