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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: KDE 3.0.2 Usability Study - First Steps
From:       Joseph Manojlovich <josephm () mail ! sis ! pitt ! edu>
Date:       2002-07-18 16:43:20
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This from the guy who invented the one button mouse? ;-) But seriously
folks...

This is the same mentality that I ran into with trying to get an option to
remove the initial dialog box in KOffice (which I have done, crudely, if
anyone cares to try it out). Yes, both ideas make great sense in theory,
but ignore the habits of users. As no other popular desktop implements
single clicking by default, nobody is expecting it when transitioning to
KDE. And even after they understand why they get two copies of the file
opened (because they incorrectly double clicked), they most often don't
modify their behavior but try to change the clicking type to double.

As Raskin also said in his book (page 20):

"Persistent use of any interface will cause you to develop habits that you
will find yourself unable to avoid. Our mandate as designers is to create
interfaces that do not allow habits to cause problems for the users. We
must design interfaces that (1) deliberately take advantage of the human
trait of habit development and (2) allow users to develop habits that
smooth the flow of their work."

Now for the part in italics on the same page:

"The ideal humane interface would reduce the interface component of a
user's work to benign habituation. Many of the problems that make products
difficult and unpleasant to use are caused by human-machine design that
fails to take into account the helpful and injurious properties of habit
formation."

Frankly, I'm a double click person myself, but I don't care if KDE does
single click so long as the option to change it remains. The ability to
customize KDE to an individual's habits is it's greatest strength, in my
humble opinion.

Not like any of this should be on this list anyway. Nobody has faked
screenshots, or .ui files, or code. Therefore, this discussion is
pointless, right? ;-)

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:

> i would suggest that those who are having trouble grasping the problems 
> w/double clicking read the excerpt i posted from "the humane interface". it 
> goes over the topic quite thoroughly and explains exactly why it is a bad 
> design for usability.

--
Joe Manojlovich
josephm@sis.pitt.edu
http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/~josephm
"I'm sorry, but I cannot divulge information about
 that customer's secret illegal account."


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