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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: User Interface.. If you ever wrote or will write a software GUI, then READ THIS!
From:       Scott Manson <Maniac () alltel ! net>
Date:       2001-03-08 20:25:32
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On Thursday 08 March 2001 07:58 pm, Christian A Strømmen [Number1/NumeroUno] 
wrote:
> I recently got hold of a page on the web that changed the way I look at
> user interfaces, this was a really extreme experience for me, and I really
> believe that this article (/book) is something EVERY KDE hacker should
> read.
>
> The article (/book) is located at
> http://joel.editthispage.com/stories/storyReader$51
>
> Take some time and read it..
>
> I want to summarize a small part of the stuff I believe should be changed
> in KDE, changes that I got from this article (/book):
>
> 1) About four years ago, many windows started sprouting three little ridges
> on the bottom right corner which look like a grip. It looks like the kind
> of thing somebody would put on a slide switch to increase the friction. It
> affords dragging. It just begs to be dragged to stretch the window. Look at
> picture resize-grip.gif
>
> 2) If you read what's on the last part of page 4, you'll see that the
> settings dialog that appears in for example kmail and konqueror are really
> bad, tabs are much more preferable (please read this yourself, and you'll
> get the point)
>
> 3) The less text the better! Less less less less less!!! (page 6)
>
> 4) A dropdown combobox should show ALL of the entries, it SHOULD NOT
> CONTAIN A scrollbar!!! (page 7)
>
> 5) Use monospace fonts for editboxes!  Fonts with variable spaces are not
> good for this! (page 7)
>
>
> The stuff above is only a small portion of what I believe should be fixed
> at once in KDE and that's listed in the article (/book).  Again, please
> take the time to read this, I can promise it'll be worth it!
>
> Last, some wisdom words from the article (/book):
> "A user interface is well-designed when the program behaves exactly how the
> user thought it would."
> "Every time you provide an option, you're asking the user to make a
> decision. Asking the user to make a decision isn't in itself a bad thing.
> The problem comes when you ask them to make a choice that they don't care
> about." "Users Don't Read the Manual."
> "Users can't control the mouse very well."
This last paragraph is a pipe dream a(n) User interface should be 
customizable. I am a power user and I hate a popup box asking me Are you sure 
30 or 40 times a day. Albeit it is usefull for a newbie that is getting used 
to the interface and system but the Are you sure gets old after about the 
second time you're asked.  I could take this to the extreme and write a 
program that every time you hit a key or moved the mouse you would be asked 
Are you sure? 
I'm not a moron and I will tend to wager that 95% of people that use computers
aren't either and therefore lies our problem do we program for intelligent 
users (allowing the choice of turning off the confirmation dialogs) or do we 
"force" our choices on an unsuspecting user(s) that have less knowledge than 
an average user or is their a happy medium between the two?

As far as I am concerned any UI that doesn't "scale" to the expertise level
of a(n) user is worthless you spend more time answering dialog boxes than 
actually using the program.

Are You SURE you want to read this message? )

-- 
Maniac@alltel.net 40° 37' 9" N, 96° 57' 24" W  
A single tasking guy in multi tasking world

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