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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    HIG
From:       Jan Muehlig <jan.muehlig () relevantive ! de>
Date:       2004-08-26 11:03:20
Message-ID: 412DC378.1000008 () relevantive ! de
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Thanks to aKademy and strong activities on the list, especially Frans', 
we got a great momentum to get a new level of HIG.

I would like to discuss some of the requirements the future HIG should meet.

1. The HIG must be usable for the developers. This is crucial. If the 
guidelines are not "read" and not followed, we have failed. Therefore 
they must be relevant, easy to use, applicable and accessible. Usability 
is about making things fitting users' needs. And as a usability 
principle, you should not project your own opinions into others. So we 
should put some effort in fitting the guidelines to the developers' 
needs. I will describe later today some ideas how this can be achieved 
(and thus fetch many of the issues discussed in this list so far).

2. The HIG must be connected and cross referenced to the other 
guidelines. In fact, usability and e.g. accessibility are often touching 
similar issues. This is partially a technical issue (how to cross link), 
but also something which requires constant communication between both 
groups. The worst case it that the guidelines conflict or contradict to 
each other. I want to assure that this does not happen.

3. As Frans pointed out, the HIG must serve also for external developers 
(and companies). And it is a sign to the world that usability (and 
accessibility) is taken serious at KDE. This is very important. Also, 
companies and public administration migrating to Linux on desktop must 
consider ergonomics and norms (ISO, DIN). If KDE does not meet them (in 
the future), it will be more difficult to conquer the desktops of this 
world. The norms are not that much magic, they are mainly strange 
formulations of usability (and accessibility) principles. However, I 
would like to make sure that the HIG conforms to these norms.


So much for now. More to follow.

Jan


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