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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Some TOM thoughts
From:       Simon Edwards <simon () simonzone ! com>
Date:       2002-06-11 19:07:37
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On Tuesday 11 June 2002 17:59, Michael Hofer wrote:
> - There is an additional menu-level before you reach the app -> slower
> usage.

A couple of points that show up time and time again in usability reports/books 
with respect to the user type TOM is targetting, are:

* Users don't fully 'get' hierarchical organisation (trees) like we do. They 
don't like deep trees.

* Users have a *huge* amount of trouble with the mouse and the KDE/Windows/etc 
start menu. Going into levels of foldout menus is just plain hard.

I think that the initial popup menu (Start menu, I guess) with one extra fold 
out level is probably the maximum that you can use. Really. Any deeper and 
you are asking for trouble.

> All in all I think I like the other style (where double-entries are the
> exception) better.
>
> e.g.:
>     |-Browse the web (Konqueror)
>     |-Browse the web (Mozilla)

Yes, that's a much better idea. Remove levels and flatten the menu out. 
Perhaps use separators to group similar items on the menu. Grouping is much 
beter than extra levels from what I've read.

> > One special submenu in the TOM that has the normal applnk items.
> > This way, no two menus are needed on the panel if you also want
> > to keep the old-style menu.

I think this is a good idea. If TOM fails the user, at the very least they can 
fall back on the older way of doing things.

-- 
Simon Edwards             | Guarddog Firewall
simon@simonzone.com       | http://www.simonzone.com/software/
Nijmegen, The Netherlands | "ZooTV? You made the right choice."

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