Re: Default WM theme settings

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Fri, Mar 15, 2002 at 02:56:47AM -0800, Seth Nickell wrote:
> > - the return to the dot stippling provided by an earlier version of
> >   this theme (the solid color just lacks visual interest without
> >   this, IMHO).
> 
> Stippling is probably also better for usability reasons. A stippled
> surface tends to afford dragging. An affordance is something that,
> although it may not be functionally necessary, indicates how an object
> should be used. For example, the flat metal plates on some doors meant
> to be pushed are primary placed there because they afford pushing, and
> hence immediately cue the user that the door is meant to be pushed.

> -seth
> 

Nope. Affordances are "the actionable properties between the world and
an actor (a person or animal)"

  http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordances-interactions.html

"Now consider only the touch sensitive screen that enables the system
 to support the affordance of touching. In this circumstance, designers
 sometimes will say that when they put an icon, cursor, or other target
 on the screen, they have added an "affordance" to the system. This is
 a misuse of the concept. The affordance exists independently of what
 is visible on the screen. Those displays are not affordances: they are
 visual feedback that advertise the affordances: they are the perceived
 affordances. The difference is important because they are independent
 design concepts: the affordances, the feedback and the perceived
 affordances can all be manipulated independently of one another.
 Perceived affordances are sometimes useful even if the system does not
 support the real affordance. Real affordances do not always have to
 have a visible presence (and in some cases, it is best to hide the
 real affordance). And the presence of feedback can dramatically affect
 the usability and understandability of a system, but quite
 independently of the affordances or their visibility."



Cheers,
Greg Merchan