IDONEITA' ALBERGHIERO

INGLESE - The Kitchen Brigade - Catering - Restaurant Service - Package Tour - Food Safety - Buffet and Banquet - Personal Computer - Hardware - Graphical user Interface        

THE KITCHEN BRIGADE

Kitchen brigade is a system of hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, commonly referred to as "kitchen staff" in English-speaking countries.

The concept was developed by Georges Auguste Escoffier. This structured team system delegates responsibilities to different individuals who specialize in certain tasks in the kitchen.

List of positions

This is an exhaustive list of the different members of the kitchen brigade system. Only the largest of establishments would have an extensive staff of this size. As noted under some titles, certain positions are combined into other positions when such a large staff is unnecessary. Note: Despite the use of chef in English as the title for a cook, the word actually means "chief" or "head" in French. Similarly, cuisine means "kitchen," but also refers to food or cooking generally, or a type of food or cooking.

Chef de cuisine (kitchen chef; literally "chief of kitchen") is responsible for overall management of kitchen; supervises staff, creates menus and new recipes with the assistance of the restaurant manager, makes purchases of raw food items, trains apprentices, and maintains a sanitary and hygienic environment for the preparation of food.

Sous-chef de cuisine (deputy/second kitchen chef; literally "subchief") receives orders directly from the chef de cuisine for the management of the kitchen, and often serves as the representative when the chef de cuisine is not present.

Saucier (saucemaker/sauté cook) prepares sauces and warm hors d'oeuvres, completes meat dishes, and in smaller restaurants, may work on fish dishes and prepare sautéed items. This is one of the most respected positions in the kitchen brigade.

Chef de partie (senior chef; literally "chief of party"; party used here as a group, in the sense of a military detail)

is responsible for managing a given station in the kitchen, specializing in preparing particular dishes there. Those who work in a lesser station are commonly referred to as a demi-chef.

Cuisinier (cook) is an independent position, usually preparing specific dishes in a station; may also be referred to as a cuisinier de partie.

Commis (junior cook) also works in a specific station, but reports directly to the chef de partie and takes care of the tools for the station.

Apprenti(e) (apprentice) are often students gaining theoretical and practical training in school and work experience in the kitchen. They perform preparatory work and/or cleaning work.

Plongeur (dishwasher or kitchen porter) cleans dishes and utensils, and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs. Marmiton (pot and pan washer, also known as kitchen porter) in larger restaurants, takes care of all the pots and pans instead of the plongeur.

Rôtisseur (roast cook) manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils, and deep fries dishes. Grillardin (grill cook) in larger kitchens, prepares grilled foods instead of the rôtisseur. Friturier (fry cook) in larger kitchens, prepares fried foods instead of the rôtisseur.

Poissonnier (fish cook) prepares fish and seafood dishes.

Entremetier (entrée preparer) prepares soups and other dishes not involving meat or fish, including vegetable dishes and egg dishes. Potager (soup cook) in larger kitchens, reports to the entremetier and prepares the soups. Legumier (vegetable cook) in larger kitchens, also reports to the entremetier and prepares the vegetable dishes.

Garde manger (pantry supervisor; literally "food keeper") is responsible for preparation of cold hors d'oeuvres, pâtés, terrines and aspics; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares charcuterie items.

Tournant (spare hand/roundsman) moves throughout the kitchen, assisting other positions in kitchen.

Pâtissier (pastry cook) prepares desserts and other meal-end sweets, and for locations without a boulanger, also prepares breads and other baked items; may also prepare pasta for the restaurant. Confiseur in larger restaurants, prepares candies and petits fours instead of the pâtissier. Glacier in larger restaurants, prepares frozen and cold desserts instead of the pâtissier. Décorateur in larger restaurants, prepares show pieces and specialty cakes instead of the pâtissier. Boulanger (baker)

in larger restaurants, prepares bread, cakes, and breakfast pastries instead of the pâtissier.

Boucher (butcher) butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes fish; may also be in charge of breading meat and fish items.

Aboyeur (announcer/expediter) takes orders from the dining room and distributes them to the various stations; may also be performed by the sous-chef de partie.

Communard prepares the meal served to the restaurant staff.

Garçon de cuisine (literally "kitchen boy") in larger restaurants, performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support.

       

CATERING      Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house (pub), or other location. Catering has evolved to become an artisanal affair. Caterers now create an experience that involves the senses.

History of catering

The earliest account of major services being catered in the United States is a 1732 ball in Philadelphia catered by Caesar Cranshell to celebrate the departure of African General William Howe. Catering business began to form around 1820, centering in Philadelphia. Catering being a respectable and profitable business, the early catering industry was disproportionately founded by African-Americans.

The industry began to professionalize under the reigns of Robert Bogle who is recognized as "the originator of catering." By 1840, the second generation of Philadelphia black caterers formed, who began to combine their catering businesses with restaurants they owned. Common usage of the word "caterer" came about in the 1880s at which point local directories began listing numerous caterers. White businessmen eventually moved into the industry and by the 1930s, the black businesses had virtually disappeared.

In the 1930s, the Soviet Union, creating more simple menus, began developing state public catering establishments as part of its collectivization policies. A rationing system was implemented during World War II, and people became used to public catering. After the World War II, many businessmen embrace catering as an alternative way of staying in business after the war. By the 1960s, the home-made food was overtaken by eating in public catering establishments.

Mobile catering

A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle, cart or truck which is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events (such as concerts), workplaces, and downtown business districts.

Wedding catering

A wedding caterer provides food to the wedding party. The wedding caterer can be hired independently or can be part of a package designed by the venue.

Catering Officers on ships Merchant ships often carry Catering Officers – especially ferries, cruise liners and large cargo ships. In fact, the term "catering" was in use in the world of the merchant marine long before it became established as a land-bound business.

RESTAURANT SERVICE

The restaurant service practitioner provides high quality food and drink service to guests. A food service practitioner generally works in the commercial sector, offering a range of services to customers. There is a direct relationship between the nature and quality of the service required, and the payment made by the guest. Therefore the practitioner has a continuing responsibility to work professionally and interactively with the guest in order to give satisfaction and thus maintain and grow the business.

The practitioner is likely to work in a hotel or restaurant. However, the size, nature and quality of these establishments can vary enormously from internationally renowned hotel chains to smaller, privately-owned, more intimate restaurants. The quality and level of service provided and expected by guests will also vary. The styles of service will be dependent on the targeted customer and can range from simple self-service operations to elaborate service styles where dishes can be prepared at the guests’ table. In its more elaborate form, food and drink service can be likened to a form of theatre.

High quality food and drink service requires the practitioner to have extensive knowledge of international cuisine, beverages and wines. They must have a complete command of accepted serving rules and must know the preparation of speciality dishes and drinks at the guests’ table or in the bar. The food server is the most important person in attending to the guests and providing the meal experience. Skill and resourcefulness, good manners, excellent interaction with guests, aplomb, excellent personal and food hygiene practices, smart appearance and practical ability are all essential.

A wide range of specialist tools and materials will be used for the service of specialist dishes, drinks and wines. The practitioner will be familiar with their use in addition to the more usual pieces of equipment that are found in most dining situations.

Irrespective of the working environment, excellent communication and customer care skills are universal attributes of the outstanding practitioner. Food service personnel will work as part of a team and with other teams in the hotel or restaurant. Whatever the structure of the work, the trained and experienced practitioner takes on a high level of personal responsibility and autonomy. This ranges from safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the guests and colleagues through scrupulous attention to safe and hygienic working practices, to achieving exceptional experiences for special occasions.

With the globalization of gastronomy, the expansion of travel for pleasure and business, and the international mobility of people, staff in the hospitality industry

enjoy rapidly expanding opportunities and challenges. For the talented restaurateur there are many commercial and international opportunities; however, these carry with them the need to understand and work with diverse cultures, trends and environments. The diversity of skills associated with restaurant service is therefore likely to keep expanding.

PACKAGE TOUR

A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country, and may also include travel between areas as part of the holiday. Package holidays are a form of product bundling.

Package holidays are organised by a tour operator and sold to a consumer by a travel agent. Some travel agents are employees of tour operators, others are independent.

History

Organised tours

The first organised tours dated back to Thomas Cook who, on 5 July 1841, chartered a train to take a group of temperance campaigners from Leicester to a rally in Loughborough, eleven miles away. By 1872 he was undertaking worldwide tours, albeit with small groups. His company, Thomas Cook & Son (commonly called Thomas Cook or simply "Cook's"), grew to become one of the largest and most well known travel agents before being nationalised in 1948.

With the gradual decline of visits to British seaside resorts after the Second World War, Thomas Cook & Son began promoting foreign holidays (particularly Italy, Spain, and Switzerland) in the early 1950s. Information films were shown at town halls throughout Britain. However they made a costly decision by not going into the new form of cheap holidays which combined the transport and accommodation arrangements into a single 'package'. The company went further into decline and were only rescued by a consortium buy-out on 26 May 1972.

Group tours

Vladimir Raitz, the co-founder of the Horizon Holiday Group, pioneered the first mass package holidays abroad with charter flights between Gatwick airport and Corsica in 1950, and organised the first package holiday to Palma in 1952, Lourdes in 1953, and the Costa Brava and Sardinia in 1954. In addition, the amendments made in Montreal to the Convention on International Civil Aviation on June 14, 1954 was very liberal to Spain, allowing impetus for mass tourism using charter planes.

By the late 1950s and 1960s, these cheap package holidays — which combined flight, transfers, and accommodation — provided the first chance for most people in the United Kingdom to have affordable travel abroad. One of the first charter airlines was

Euravia, which commenced flights from Manchester Airport in 1961 and Luton Airport in 1962. Despite opening up mass tourism to Crete and the Algarve in 1970, the package tour industry declined during the 1970s. On 15 August 1974, the industry was shaken by the collapse of the second-largest tour operator, Court Line, which operated under the brand names of Horizon and Clarksons. Nearly 50,000 tourists were stranded overseas and a further 100,000 people faced the loss of booking deposits.

In 2005 a growing number of consumers were avoiding package holidays and were instead travelling with budget airlines and booking their own accommodation. In the UK, the downturn in the package holiday market led to the consolidation of the tour operator market, which is now dominated by a few large tour operators. The major operators are Thomson Holidays and First Choice part of TUI AG and Thomas Cook AG. Under these umbrella brands there exists a whole range of different holiday operators catering to different markets, such as Club 18-30 or traveleze. Budget airlines have also created their own package holiday divisions such as Jet2 Holidays.

The trend for package holiday bookings saw a comeback in 2009, as customers sought greater financial security in the wake of a number of holiday and flight companies going bust, and as the hidden costs of 'no-frills' flights increased. Coupled with the search for late holidays as holidaymakers left booking to the last moment, this led to a rise in consumers booking package holidays.

Dynamic packaging

Dynamic packaging is a method that is becoming increasingly used in package holiday booking procedures that enables consumers to build their own package of flights, accommodation, and rental car instead of a pre-defined package.

FOOD SAFETY

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. In this way food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer.

In considering industry to market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market to consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer.

Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries the main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item. In theory, food poisoning is 100% preventable. The five key principles of food hygiene, according to WHO, are:

1. Prevent contaminating food with pathogens spreading from people, pets, and pests.

2. Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the cooked foods. 3. Cook foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate

temperature to kill pathogens. 4. Store food at the proper temperature. 5. Do use safe water and safe raw materials.

Issues

Food safety issues and regulations concern:

• Agriculture and animal husbandry practices • Food manufacturing practices • Food additives • Novel foods • Genetically modified foods

• Food labels

ISO 22000

ISO 22000 is a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization dealing with food safety. This is a general derivative of ISO 9000. ISO 22000 standard: The ISO 22000 international standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that involves interactive communication, system management, prerequisite programs, HACCP principles.

BUFFET AND BANQUET

Main Difference – Buffet vs Banquet

Both buffet and banquet are ways of serving food. Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between buffet and banquet. A buffet is a casual meal where the guests serve themselves. A banquet is a more formal meal with several courses. The main difference between buffet and banquet is that a banquet may be held in honor of someone whereas buffets are mainly held to offer food.

What is a Buffet

Buffet is a meal consisting of several dishes from which guests serve themselves. The meal is usually placed in a public area so that the guests can serve themselves as they like. It’s a common method for feeding a large number of guests with minimal staff. The guests can directly see the food and decide the dishes they want and how much they want to eat.

Buffets are offered at various places such as restaurants, hotels, and many social functions. Buffets at hotels and restaurants generally offer a fixed price, and the guests can have all they can eat. Buffets can be categorized into different types by the type of food they serve. Cold buffets are the buffets that don’t serve hot food whereas hot buffets are buffets where hot food is offered. Finger buffets offer small and delicate food which can be eaten by hand.

What is a Banquet

A banquet is an elaborate meal, containing several courses. It is usually attended by many people and serves a purpose such as a ceremony or celebration. It can also be held in honor of someone. The meal is often followed by speeches made in honor of something or someone.

A banquet is usually more formal and elegant than a buffet. The place where a banquet is held is generally called a banquet hall. In a contemporary setting, banquets are held for business purposes and training sessions as well.

Difference Between Buffet and Banquet

Meaning

Buffet is a meal consisting of several dishes from which guests serve themselves.

Banquet is an elaborate meal, containing several courses.

Formality

Buffet is more casual than a banquet.

Banquet is more formal than a buffet.

Honoring people

Buffets are not held to honor people; the main purpose is serving food.

Banquet is usually held in honor of something or someone.

Serving

Buffet promotes self-serving.

Banquet does not promote self-serving.

Meals

Buffet does not offer luxurious food as banquets.

Banquet offers sumptuous meals.

Courses

Buffet may not contain several courses.

Banquet contains several courses.

Staff

Buffets can be held with minimal staff.

Banquets need more staff.

Speech

Speeches are not made in buffets.

In a banquet, the meal may be followed by speeches.

PERSONAL COMPUTER

A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose electronic computer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. PCs are intended to be operated directly by a end-user, rather than by a computer expert or technician.

"Computers were invented to 'compute': to solve complex mathematical problems," but today, due to media dependency and the everyday use of computers, it is seen that "'computing' is the least important thing computers do." The computer time-sharing models that were typically used with larger, more expensive minicomputer and mainframe systems, to enable them be used by many people at the same time, are not used with PCs. A range of software applications ("programs") are available for personal computers including, but are not limited to, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, web browsers, email, digital media playback, video games, and many personal productivity and special-purpose software applications. In the 2010s, PCs are typically connected to the Internet, allowing access to the World Wide Web and other resources. Personal computers may be connected to a local area network (LAN), either by a cable or a wireless connection. In the 2010s, a PC may be:

• a multi-component desktop computer, designed for use in a fixed location • a laptop computer, designed for easy portability or • a tablet computer, designed to be hand-held.

In the 2010s, PCs run using an operating system (OS), such as Microsoft Windows, Linux (and the various operating systems based on it), or Macintosh (macOS).

Early computer owners in the 1960s, invariably institutional or corporate, had to write their own programs to do any useful calculations with the machines, which even did not include an operating system. The very earliest microcomputers, equipped with a front panel, required hand-loading of a "bootstrap" program to load programs from external storage (paper tape ("punched tape"), tape cassettes, or eventually diskettes). Before long, automatic booting from permanent read-only memory (ROM) became universal. In the 2010s, users have access to a wide range of commercial software, free software ("freeware") and free and open-source software, which are provided in ready-to-run or ready-to-compile form. Software for personal computers, such as applications ("apps") and video games, are typically developed and distributed independently from the hardware or OS manufacturers, whereas software for many mobile phones and other portable systems is approved and distributed through a centralized online store.

Since the early 1990s, Microsoft operating systems and Intel hardware have dominated much of the personal computer market, first with MS-DOS and then with

Windows. Alternatives to Microsoft's Windows operating systems occupy a minority share of the industry. These include Apple's OS X and free open-source Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) provides the main alternative to Intel's processors. ARM architecture processors "sold 15 billion microchips in 2015, which was more than US rival Intel had sold in its history"and ARM-based smartphones and tablets, those are also effectively personal computers – though not usually described as such – now outnumber traditional PCs (that are by now predominantly Intel-based while a small minority is AMD-based).

Terminology  "PC" is an initialism for "personal computer". However, it is sometimes used in a different sense, referring to a personal computer with an Intel x86-compatible processor, very often running (but not necessarily limited to) Microsoft Windows, which is a combination sometimes also called Wintel, although large portion of PCs are not shipped with preinstalled Windows operating systems. Some PCs, including the OLPC XOs, are equipped with x86 or x64 processors but not designed to run Microsoft Windows. "PC" is used in contrast with "Mac", an Apple Macintosh computer. This sense of the word is used in the Get a Mac advertisement campaign that ran between 2006 and 2009, as well as its rival, I'm a PC campaign, that appeared in 2008. Since Apple's transition to Intel processors starting 2005, all Macintosh computers are now PCs.

HARDWARE    

Computer hardware is a comprehensive term for all physical parts of a computer, as distinguished from the data it contains or operates on, and the software that provides instructions for the hardware to accomplish tasks. The boundary between hardware and software has become blurred, with the existence of firmware that is software "built into" the hardware. For example, a 2010-era LCD display screen contains a small computer inside. Mass-market consumer computers use highly standardized components and so are simple for an end user to assemble into a working system. Most 2010s-era computers only require users to plug in the power supply, monitor, and other cables. A typical desktop computer consists of a computer case (or "tower"), a metal chassis that holds the power supply, motherboard, hard disk drive, and often an optical disc drive. Most towers have empty space where users can add additional components. External devices such as a computer monitor or visual display unit, keyboard, and a pointing device (mouse) are usually found in a personal computer.

The motherboard connects all processor, memory and peripheral devices together. The RAM, graphics card and processor are in most cases mounted directly onto the motherboard. The central processing unit (microprocessor chip) plugs into a CPU socket, while the memory modules plug into corresponding memory sockets. Some motherboards have the video display adapter, sound and other peripherals integrated onto the motherboard, while others use expansion slots for graphics cards, network cards, or other I/O devices. The graphics card or sound card may employ a break out box to keep the analog parts away from the electromagnetic radiation inside the computer case. Disk drives, which provide mass storage, are connected to the motherboard with one cable, and to the power supply through another cable. Usually, disk drives are mounted in the same case as the motherboard; expansion chassis are also made for additional disk storage.

For large amounts of data, a tape drive can be used or extra hard disks can be put together in an external case. The keyboard and the mouse are external devices plugged into the computer through connectors on an I/O panel on the back of the computer case. The monitor is also connected to the input/output (I/O) panel, either through an onboard port on the motherboard, or a port on the graphics card. Capabilities of the personal computers hardware can sometimes be extended by the addition of expansion cards connected via an expansion bus. Standard peripheral buses often used for adding expansion cards in personal computers include PCI, PCI Express (PCIe), and AGP (a high-speed PCI bus dedicated to graphics adapters, found in older computers). Most modern personal computers have multiple physical PCI Express expansion slots, with some of the having PCI slots as well.

An exploded view of a modern personal computer and peripherals (some of which are optional):

1. Scanner 2. CPU (Microprocessor) 3. Memory (RAM) 4. Expansion cards (graphics cards, etc.) 5. Power supply 6. Optical disc drive 7. Storage (Hard disk or SSD) 8. Motherboard 9. Speakers 10. Monitor 11. System software 12. Application software 13. Keyboard 14. Mouse 15. External hard disk 16. Printer

MICROPROCESSOR

A microprocessor is a computer processor which incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC), or at most a few integrated circuits. The microprocessor is a multipurpose, clock driven, register based, programmable electronic device which accepts binary data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output. Microprocessors contain both combinational logic and sequential digital logic. Microprocessors operate on numbers and symbols represented in the binary numeral system.

The integration of a whole CPU onto a single chip or on a few chips greatly reduced the cost of processing power, increasing efficiency. Integrated circuit processors are produced in large numbers by highly automated processes resulting in a low per unit cost. Single-chip processors increase reliability as there are many fewer electrical connections to fail. As microprocessor designs get better, the cost of manufacturing a chip (with smaller components built on a semiconductor chip the same size) generally stays the same.

Before microprocessors, small computers had been built using racks of circuit boards with many medium- and small-scale integrated circuits . Microprocessors combined this into one or a few large-scale ICs. Continued increases in microprocessor capacity have since rendered other forms of computers almost completely obsolete (see history of computing hardware), with one or more microprocessors used in everything from the smallest embedded systems and handheld devices to the largest mainframes and supercomputers.

A Japanese manufactured HuC6260A microprocessor

Structure

The internal arrangement of a microprocessor varies depending on the age of the design and the intended purposes of the microprocessor. The complexity of an integrated circuit (IC) is bounded by physical limitations of the number of transistors that can be put onto one chip, the number of package terminations that can connect the processor to other parts of the system, the number of interconnections it is possible to make on the chip, and the heat that the chip can dissipate. Advancing technology makes more complex and powerful chips feasible to manufacture.

A minimal hypothetical microprocessor might only include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and a control logic section. The ALU performs operations such as addition, subtraction, and operations such as AND or OR. Each operation of the ALU sets one or more flags in a status register, which indicate the results of the last operation (zero value, negative number, overflow, or others). The control logic retrieves instruction codes from memory and initiates the sequence of operations required for the ALU to carry out the instruction. A single operation code might affect many individual data paths, registers, and other elements of the processor.

As integrated circuit technology advanced, it was feasible to manufacture more and more complex processors on a single chip. The size of data objects became larger; allowing more transistors on a chip allowed word sizes to increase from 4- and 8-bit words up to today's 64-bit words. Additional features were added to the processor architecture; more on-chip registers sped up programs, and complex instructions could be used to make more compact programs. Floating-point arithmetic, for example, was often not available on 8-bit microprocessors, but had to be carried out in software. Integration of the floating point unit first as a separate integrated circuit and then as part of the same microprocessor chip, sped up floating point calculations.

Occasionally, physical limitations of integrated circuits made such practices as a bit slice approach necessary. Instead of processing all of a long word on one integrated circuit, multiple circuits in parallel processed subsets of each data word. While this required extra logic to handle, for example, carry and overflow within each slice, the result was a system that could handle, for example, 32-bit words using integrated circuits with a capacity for only four bits each.

With the ability to put large numbers of transistors on one chip, it becomes feasible to integrate memory on the same die as the processor. This CPU cache has the advantage of faster access than off-chip memory, and increases the processing speed of the system for many applications. Processor clock frequency has increased more rapidly than external memory speed, except in the recent past, so cache memory is necessary if the processor is not delayed by slower external memory.

GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

The graphical user interface (GUI), is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, instead of text-based user interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation. GUIs were introduced in reaction to the perceived steep learning curve of command-line interfaces (CLIs), which require commands to be typed on a computer keyboard.

The actions in a GUI are usually performed through direct manipulation of the graphical elements. Beyond computers, GUIs are used in many handheld mobile devices such as MP3 players, portable media players, gaming devices, smartphones and smaller household, office and industrial controls. The term GUI tends not to be applied to other lower-display resolution types of interfaces, such as video games (where heads-up display (HUD) is preferred), or not including flat screens, like volumetric displays because the term is restricted to the scope of two-dimensional display screens able to describe generic information, in the tradition of the computer science research at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).

User interface and interaction design

Designing the visual composition and temporal behavior of a GUI is an important part of software application programming in the area of human–computer interaction. Its goal is to enhance the efficiency and ease of use for the underlying logical design of a stored program, a design discipline named usability. Methods of user-centered design are used to ensure that the visual language introduced in the design is well-tailored to the tasks.

The visible graphical interface features of an application are sometimes referred to as chrome or GUI (pronounced gooey). Typically, users interact with information by manipulating visual widgets that allow for interactions appropriate to the kind of data they hold. The widgets of a well-designed interface are selected to support the actions necessary to achieve the goals of users. A model–view–controller allows a flexible structure in which the interface is independent from and indirectly linked to application functions, so the GUI can be customized easily. This allows users to select or design a different skin at will, and eases the designer's work to change the interface as user needs evolve. Good user interface design relates to users more, and to system architecture less.

Large widgets, such as windows, usually provide a frame or container for the main presentation content such as a web page, email message or drawing. Smaller ones usually act as a user-input tool.

A GUI may be designed for the requirements of a vertical market as application-specific graphical user interfaces. Examples include automated teller machines (ATM), point of sale (POS) touchscreens at restaurants, self-service checkouts used in a retail store, airline self-ticketing and check-in, information kiosks in a public space, like a train station or a museum, and monitors or control screens in an embedded industrial application which employ a real-time operating system (RTOS).

By the 1990s, cell phones and handheld game systems also employed application specific touchscreen GUIs. Newer automobiles use GUIs in their navigation systems and multimedia centers, or navigation multimedia center combinations.

Components

A GUI uses a combination of technologies and devices to provide a platform that users can interact with, for the tasks of gathering and producing information.

A series of elements conforming a visual language have evolved to represent information stored in computers. This makes it easier for people with few computer skills to work with and use computer software. The most common combination of such elements in GUIs is the windows, icons, menus, pointer (WIMP) paradigm, especially in personal computers.

The WIMP style of interaction uses a virtual input device to represent the position of a pointing device, most often a mouse, and presents information organized in windows and represented with icons. Available commands are compiled together in menus, and actions are performed making gestures with the pointing device. A window manager facilitates the interactions between windows, applications, and the windowing system. The windowing system handles hardware devices such as pointing devices, graphics hardware, and positioning of the pointer.

In personal computers, all these elements are modeled through a desktop metaphor to produce a simulation called a desktop environment in which the display represents a desktop, on which documents and folders of documents can be placed. Window managers and other software combine to simulate the desktop environment with varying degrees of realism.

Layers of a GUI based on a windowing system