Re: Draining the Swamp: A Technical User's Experience

[Andy Tai <lichengtai yahoo com>]

No, you don't need user testing to widen programmers'
eyes.  If you have an old relative who rarely touch
computers and GUIs, try to have him use an X11-based
desktop environment.  Just do simple things like
single-click on an icon to select, double click on the
icon to open.  You may soon find he may have problem
with properly double clicking.  Either he clicks too
slowly and double clicks become two single clicks, or
he may not hold the mouse in place and icons get moved
during the open process, thus not achieving the
desired action.  Even if he gets it, wait six months
without you being around, and you may find he has
trouble doing that without "retraining." 

Trying to have your grandmother using GNOME in a
productive way may just be an impossible task with the
current technology, no matter how hard the GNOME team
tries.


--- "Liam R. E. Quin" <liam holoweb net> wrote:
> [mjs:]
> > I've watched video footage of user testing that
> showed users failing
> > to understand a UI that seemed very clear to me,
> as a programmer, and
> > it was a huge wake-up call.
> 
> [Jim Gettys]
> > Is it possible to get a copy of said video tape
> ?  I suspect it would
> open many eyes...
> 
> Even better, could it be digitised and put up on the
> web?
> 
> Liam [Ankh]
> 
> 
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> foundation-list mailing list
> foundation-list gnome org
>
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