Bureaucrats, emailconfirmed
1,221
edits
→Basic Principles& Best Practices
| Line 245: | Line 245: | ||
==Metaphors== | ==Metaphors== | ||
One way to ease the dealing with a something new is to suggests that it works similarly to something the user already knows. This is often done to transfering real world principles to software interfaces and is also known as using a "metaphor". Like metaphors in language the metaphor transfers some aspects while some are not transferred - thats often good: if you do otherwise and try to transfer every single aspect you often end up with a use that has no advantages over the real world thing the | One way to ease the dealing with a something new is to suggests that it works similarly to something the user already knows. This is often done to transfering real world principles to software interfaces and is also known as using a "metaphor". Like metaphors in language the metaphor transfers some aspects while some are not transferred - thats often good: if you do otherwise and try to transfer every single aspect you often end up with a use that has no advantages over the real world thing the metaphor is drawing from but is far more difficult to use. | ||
There are many metaphors around when you take a look at your computer's applications. The most times you will use metaphors by choosing a suitable name or icon for a function or desinging the workflow like a well known process. Though here are two examples of well known metaphers that almost rule the way we deal with the applications they are used in: | There are many metaphors around when you take a look at your computer's applications. The most times you will use metaphors by choosing a suitable name or icon for a function or desinging the workflow like a well known process. Though here are two examples of well known metaphers that almost rule the way we deal with the applications they are used in: | ||
| Line 291: | Line 291: | ||
The proverb "out of sight, out of soul" is quite right: what we don't see is seldom in our working memory and need to be conscious retrieved - a costly process regarding cognitive resources. | The proverb "out of sight, out of soul" is quite right: what we don't see is seldom in our working memory and need to be conscious retrieved - a costly process regarding cognitive resources. | ||
There are many invisible functions we face everyday: Water-tabs that are triggered if you weave a hand in front of them, keyboard shortcuts and touch-gestures. As well functionality is invisible if you need to go to a certain place to see a visual representation. So the folder you save your work in is invisible as log as you don't open the file manager and navigate to your folder. Same with deeply nested menus. | There are many invisible functions we face everyday: Water-tabs that are triggered if you weave a hand in front of them, keyboard shortcuts and touch-gestures. As well functionality is invisible if you need to go to a certain place to see a visual representation. So the folder you save your work in is invisible as log as you don't open the file manager and navigate to your folder. Same with deeply nested menus. | ||
[[File:VW_Passat_CC_Cockpit.JPG|thumb|300px|car cockpit: great example for visibility]] | |||
A positive example of a interface that does a great job concerning visibility is the of a car. Everything you need is immediately visible. | A positive example of a interface that does a great job concerning visibility is the of a car. Everything you need is immediately visible. | ||
Often the principle of visibility is ignored to make the interface disappear in order to make the product look nicer. Sometimes it really adds a bit of aesthetics but for the price of easy use and learning. So don't do so. What can be invisible are accelerator mechanisms like shortsćuts as long as the functions they trigger are accessible in an other, visible way. | Often the principle of visibility is ignored to make the interface disappear in order to make the product look nicer. Sometimes it really adds a bit of aesthetics but for the price of easy use and learning. So don't do so. What can be invisible are accelerator mechanisms like shortsćuts as long as the functions they trigger are accessible in an other, visible way. | ||
==Feedback== | ==Feedback== | ||
[[File:746px-Eric_'slowhand'_Clapton.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Could Eric Clapton play guitar without feedback? Probably not!] | |||
While visibility ensures that users easily know what you can be done, offering feedback ensures that users know which results their actions have. | While visibility ensures that users easily know what you can be done, offering feedback ensures that users know which results their actions have. | ||
Feedback is a well known real world experience. When you cut bread you know see the knife moving and feel the change resistance. When you play an instrument you experience that a movement of you hand immediately changes the sound. | Feedback is a well known real world experience. When you cut bread you know see the knife moving and feel the change resistance. When you play an instrument you experience that a movement of you hand immediately changes the sound. | ||
Imagine you would not have feedback in the above examples: Having no resistance and visibility of the knife while cutting bread would cause you carrying on with slicing the table after the bread is done. If you would need to play guitar without hearing the sound you would need to check afterwards if you got it right. | Imagine you would not have feedback in the above examples: Having no resistance and visibility of the knife while cutting bread would cause you carrying on with slicing the table after the bread is done. If you would need to play guitar without hearing the sound you would need to check afterwards if you got it right. | ||
[[File:Progress_bar_gnome_ubuntu.png|thumb|300px|a widget dedicated to feedback: the progressbar]] | |||
Ideally feedback is immediate and and directly visible. Feedback seems to be such an basic experience that everybody is confused if there is no feedback within a few moments. Without feedback people often start pushing buttons many times or they assume that the system has crashed, though it may just be busy doing what the user wants. To prevent this confusion an widget called "progessbar" is very useful. It is often seen when copying bigger amounts of data from one place to another. The movement of the progressbar shows that the computer works. | Ideally feedback is immediate and and directly visible. Feedback seems to be such an basic experience that everybody is confused if there is no feedback within a few moments. Without feedback people often start pushing buttons many times or they assume that the system has crashed, though it may just be busy doing what the user wants. To prevent this confusion an widget called "progessbar" is very useful. It is often seen when copying bigger amounts of data from one place to another. The movement of the progressbar shows that the computer works. | ||
| Line 305: | Line 306: | ||
==Modeless Design== | ==Modeless Design== | ||
[[File:AppleCapsLock_PD.jpg|thumb|300px|Caps Lock Key. The little light offers feedback, but the users attention is drawn to the screen] | |||
Everybody knows about the problems "modes" create though you may never heard about this term. But for sure you already had trouble with the Caps-Lock-Key that changes the rESULT oF tYPING. If you push the Caps-Lock you enter a mode. This means that: | Everybody knows about the problems "modes" create though you may never heard about this term. But for sure you already had trouble with the Caps-Lock-Key that changes the rESULT oF tYPING. If you push the Caps-Lock you enter a mode. This means that: | ||
| Line 310: | Line 312: | ||
* You attention is not necessary directed on the status of the mode, which means it can be triggered and used unnoticed. | * You attention is not necessary directed on the status of the mode, which means it can be triggered and used unnoticed. | ||
If an application behaves strange and you actions have results you did not expect it is likely that you entered a mode. If you are lucky you notice it and know how to get out of this. If not - which is | If an application behaves strange and you actions have results you did not expect it is likely that you entered a mode. If you are lucky you notice it and know how to get out of this. If not - which is far more often the case - you mess up your work, loose data and think the application in corrupt.It is but not its functionality but the design! | ||
One of the rare examples of modes that don't cause confusion are the tools in image editing applications. They introduce modes too, because a mouse click will cause a selection (using the select tool), painting (brush) or deleting something (eraser) But it does not cause problems because we know the tool-modes from the real world, we have direct feedback and the cursor changes as well. So we are aware of the mode. | One of the rare examples of modes that don't cause confusion are the tools in image editing applications. They introduce modes too, because a mouse click will cause a selection (using the select tool), painting (brush) or deleting something (eraser) But it does not cause problems because we know the tool-modes from the real world, we have direct feedback and the cursor changes as well. So we are aware of the mode. | ||