A user interface includes a touch-sensitive display and a display control unit for controlling the display. A method for controlling a household appliance using the graphical user interface includes the steps of: displaying a first graphical representation on the display, the first graphical representation including symbols, each symbol being associated with an appliance subunit of the household appliance; when a symbol is touched by a touching means, transmitting control signals from the control unit to the display to change the first graphical representation into a second graphical representation; displaying information regarding a change of a setting value of the appliance entity associated with the touched symbol when the touching means is dragged from a first position to a second position at the display; and changing the graphical representation at the display from the second graphical representation to a third graphical representation when lifting the touching means from the display.