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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: User Interface Guidelines
From:       Segedunum <segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk>
Date:       2004-08-05 21:31:57
Message-ID: 200408052232.00571.segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk
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On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 14:49:38, Aaron Seigo wrote:
> as you probably know, at the last KDE World Conference there were people 
> interested in rewriting them with us.

Well, once someone can point to an adequate way of making amendments to 
documents etc. and posting changes (rather than posting to lists) I'll be 
waiting for some good feedback after aKademy. Has anyone thought of having a 
usability documents area in CVS somewhere?

> i'll keep everyone posted on progress as it happens, and i'll hold off on
> entering discussions on a new UIG until aKademy.  

I'm not sure a totally new UIG is necessary. The old one provides a good 
basis, so I would work on fleshing it out by using other literature, possibly 
ideas from the Gnome HIG were appropriate and good usability books and ideas.

Before anyone even gets started however, I should point out that we are never 
going to get usability utopia. We can work towards good, sensible ideas and 
flesh them out, but there will always be exceptions to any rule - such is 
life. It is sometimes too easy to fall into that trap. I'm not worried about 
that though, because I like the people around here :).

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 13:33:13, Anne-Marie Mahfouf wrote:
> I would be interested in participating in UIG for children via IRC or
> another mean as I won't be at aKademy. I think it is important to allow some 
> possibilities for young kids apps which might be different from usual 
> interfaces. I don't know about any papers on that yet, this is only about 
> (young) users feedback.   

Wow, cool. If you eventually could point to some literature and relay some of 
your experiences, that would be great.

> I don't know if having a set of guidelines for special users is relevant for
> other people but being criticized for having a Quit button for example in
> the toolbar by default seems wrong as if you ask all kids they will say they
> need it.

We may get a set of guidelines that the vast majority of applications will use 
(and kids will still work them out fine!), but it just isn't going to cover 
everything. You're just not going to apply a static set of usability 
guidelines designed for most applications to a game or an educational program 
for children.

You have to be a bit careful about kids and usability though, because they are 
able to learn just about anything. Adults are rubbish at it, and if you want 
to feel bad about your own computer literacy just watch a child use a 
computer.

Cheers,

David
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