Re: Weighing in and other thoughts about recent discussions

[Johan Hanson <johan obsession se>]

Gerry Chu wrote:
> 
> > > BRRZT! :)  Wrong.  Seeing the list of existing files is useful if I
> > > need to know the name of a file which I'm replacing, or one I'm
> > > making a new version of.  (Did I call it "big_spaceship.png" or was
> > > it "spaceship_big.png"?  I need to know to make sure that I call my
> > > small spaceship image in a consistent way.)
> 
> Well, I'm not saying the only way around the problem is removing it, you
> could make it smaller or put it one level down, just like...

Users often choose "Save as" when their intention was to "Save".
Giving them the file is essential.

With the load-save model that most operating system use, users often
choose "save as" to OVERWRITE existing files.
To do that, you must be able to select files from a list.

There is a point with seeing the contents of a directory when saving
even if you not overwriting. A user must know if the directory she is saving
in is the correct one. A user might not know much about the directory other than
that it contains certain files, they may remember that it contains so many files
of predominantly some type which has icons in some colors that are laid out
in some manner. This image could help a lot.
I am not writing about making the "open" and "save" dialogs identical - because
that would hide information from the user. I mean the opposite.
I am writing about the "knowledge in the world"-rule which you learn the
first week of studying user interface design.

> On a separate note, I think we should make a general rule not to discuss
> implementation...this is a GUI list, after all.  Leave the code to the great
> GNOME/Eazel programmers.

<rant>
Like they would even care about this list!
I once commented on the nautilus list about how I though that they should
discuss Nautilus-interface issues in this list because I think that the
design of Nautilus' interface is something that is important for the
whole GNOME UI community. I got an obnoxious reply.

The GNOME UI community created a design for a new file manager for GNOME 2.0
and discussed this design endlessly, and still are discussing such issues.
Is there anything in the GMF design that is in Nautilus?

People complain "Show me the code". That is what we should do if we want
to have any influence over the design issues of GNOME in the future.
We should have to write the code.

The design of interfaces is not a light issue. It is definitely not an
"artsy" thing.
Good user interface design is art and science in perfect harmony.
Good programming is also art and science together, and the best designs
will be those that take both programming and users into account from the start.
</rant>

/ Johan
 -- johan@tiq.com -- http://www.obsession.se/johan/ --