From kde-usability  Sun Aug 10 21:19:27 2003
From: Stian =?iso-8859-1?Q?S=F8iland?= <stian () soiland ! no>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 21:19:27 +0000
To: kde-usability
Subject: Re: Recently used programs
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-usability&m=106055041122186

On 2003-08-05 22:45:15, Sander Devrieze wrote:

> Move this list default below the static application list or *even* below the 
> logout button!! Why?: If you click on the K-icon you are normally looking on 
> the place of that button and the mousepointer is also there. So, when you get 
> just above the K-icon the recently used apps list, you see directly if the 
> app you want to start is in there and you have to move the mouse not much. 
> (ideas:) If we place this list under even under the logout button, let begin 
> the text (KDE x.x) near the K-menu also start from the same level the logout 
> button, and also use some other visualisations to make it clear that the 
> "real" and static K-menu only begins above this list.

The only trouble with this is that users quickly learn to scan the
program list from the TOP (as is normal in western
read-from-top-left-culture), and that's where Program categories are
found in alfabetical order. At the very end are the special cases,
Settings, LogOut, etc. 

I would like to see some (maybe just simple) user testing to reveal
which method would make most users use the "Most reasent" application
links. Subjects would of course not know that this would be the
goal of the user testing.

I personally like that the items are on the top. You are right that the
user's eyes are at the very bottom at the beginning, but users will
hesitate to learn a pattern:

  * Click K
  * Look just above for the applicatiion
  * Start scanning from the top for a proper category

The middle step will be disposed immediately. Two scans are harder than
one scan, and we'll be back at almost the same problem as with a
seperate menu.

What about just doing something like this?

    http://beist.ntnu.nu/recent.png

I've changed the background of "Recent application" on the top to make
it stand out more (even attract the user) instead of just keeping the
seperator, and added two titles. 

(The text is from the Norwegian nynorsk edition of KDE 3.1 in Debian
unstable )

What we should try to do is reduce the number of items. I see several
items I've actually never used, including:

  Start new session
  QuickExplorer (? Snøgglesar at my screenshot)
  Bookmarks
  Help

Settings, Home and FindFiles should be moved further down, so they are
not gathered with 'All applications' in my view.  

-- 
Stian Søiland               Work toward win-win situation. Win-lose
Trondheim, Norway           is where you win and the other lose.
http://www.soiland.no/      Lose-lose and lose-win are left as an
                            exercise to the reader.  [Limoncelli/Hogan]
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