From kde-usability Thu Jun 20 17:10:41 2002 From: Ian h Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 17:10:41 +0000 To: kde-usability Subject: Re: KOffice Dialog Box X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-usability&m=102459312711642 --- "Aaron J. Seigo" wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > On June 18, 2002 02:29 am, David Hugh-Jones wrote: > > On Tuesday 18 June 2002 4:17 am, Joseph > Manojlovich wrote: > > > On Sun, 16 Jun 2002, Christian A Strømmen > [Number1/NumeroUno] wrote: > > > > Anybody here seen the way cdbakeoven does > this? It gives you an option > > > > to disable the wizard that pops up when > starting the app. Couldn't this > > > > be a good way of doing this? > > > > > > You do realize that you're asking the > impossible, right? :-) > > > > It does seem from the discussion on this list that > a lot of users would > > prefer to have the wizard as an option only. I > certainly would. It may just > > be a fact that most users, when they start a word > processor, may want to > > start a new document, and want to get straight to > work without going > > through a dialog (no matter how many groovy > features the dialog has). > > if it is made optional and people are not used to > such an introduction they > will most likely turn it off w/out even thinking. at > that point it is > questionable whether the dialog should even exist. > if there are actual > benefits to the dialog, then it should remain. if > there aren't actual > benefits, it should be removed. > > but, as i said on IRC the other day, getting > everyone to just click a "hide > this" checkbox is simply hiding the ugly child under > the stairs. > > so, what are the benefits of this ugly child? the > dialog provides consistency > between opening via icon and opening via the file > menu; it allows an easy way > to access templates and set a default template; it > provides a way to provide > users wizards for certain templates (the dialog > itself isn't a wizard, btw), > it doesn't make someone open a new docu before > selecting what they really > want, it keeps to the SDI model... i think these are > important things. > > so, is there a way to make this intro more > palletable (sp) so people won't > immediately want to hide it? > > my feeling, without doing a formal study, is that > people don't like it > because: > > o the layout is rather complex, esp with the > default being on the bottom not > the top > o it is another window. you ask for a simple app > and up pops two windows! > o it is modal (lack of user control; very > frustrating) > o a quick and simple way to dismiss it isn't > apparent to many users (press > enter) > > on the koffice list there was talk about integrating > the dialog w/the actual > window. i think this could very well solve most of > what feels awkward about > this dialog: you'd get one window, nothing is modal, > it could have more room > to explain to just hit enter (or whatever other > clevel mech) to move on and > the layout could be reworked. > > yes, this is not the easy solution. > > - -- > Aaron J. Seigo Not to add to the Kword dialog fire but here goes. Even as someone from the U.S., it drives me crazy to be constantly asked if I can be helped. This applies as much to stores as opening dialogs. In the same vein, I appreciate being ask once so I can configure my default settings (initial country-based setting) and preferred template. A checkbox should always appear at the bottom of the dialog window for those who want to turn it off. There should be an on/off "check" on a menu similar to the toolbar menu to allow it to be easily turned back on. A drop-down menu(s) would allow the user change document settings such as paper type/size, number of columns. These menus should also allow the current document's template to be changed, modified or a new one created for later use. -Ian Hollander __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ kde-usability mailing list kde-usability@mail.kde.org http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability