From kde-usability Wed Oct 19 18:27:01 2005 From: Martijn Klingens Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:27:01 +0000 To: kde-usability Subject: Re: kde-usability Digest, Vol 31, Issue 9 Message-Id: <200510192027.01685.klingens () kde ! org> X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-usability&m=112974643503175 On Wednesday 19 October 2005 20:02, fourhead wrote: > > If they are cluttered, they are also cluttered for experienced users. The > > key to usability is presenting information such that everyone can easily > > find his/her way around. It does not necessarily mean removing stuff as > > some people tend to think and it certainly doesn't mean user levels. > > So, but then how else would you do it? By looking at each and every item on a case-by-case basis. The way Aaron has been gradually cleaning up Kicker in KDE 3.4 and the upcoming 3.5 is a good example how you can make stuff more usable without cutting out a whole lot, if anything. Sometimes you can demote items from a toolbar to a menu. Sometimes you need to rearrange menus. Sometimes an item needs to go out of the GUI, only configurable by external tools and/or the config file. Sometimes you need to redo lots of things. The common part in all these examples is that you always need to watch at users. Do formal (and proper!) usability testing, use paper prototyping, or any other means you have. Ask the experts here, like Aaron, Celeste, Ellen and Thomas (not trying to be complete, so don't feel left out if I missed someone). It's all a bit fuzzy, but usability is a topic that (at least for me) is hard to fit in a handful of rules. Perhaps someone else can list some good ideas for starters that tend to work in any case? -- Martijn _______________________________________________ kde-usability mailing list kde-usability@kde.org https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability