RE: Ease of use (was Call for constructive user criticism.)

["Scott Haug" <eldamitri hotmail com>]

From: "Fox, Kevin M" <KMFox@mail.bhi-erc.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 12:54:57 -0700
>I agree.
>If you make 1 interface easy and simple to use, and the other advanced and
>more difficult to use, it allows the user to choose if he/she is ready to
>use the complex stuff. It dosn't need to be insulting, it just needs to be
>very simple to use.

I've found that the best guis I've used have had a single interface that had 
easy, immediate access for the new user, with options set to the most common 
default, while allowing for plenty of tweaking "under the hood" for the 
advanced user.  Maybe instead of coming up with two interfaces, we should be 
thinking of how to write a single interface that can adapt to a user's 
proficiency.  Even something as simple as "masking" an advanced interface 
could work, such that only the most necessary options are made available on 
the toolbar at first, yet still allowing for more buttons, etc., to be added 
later via an "Options" dialog.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't require multiple 
interfaces for every application, but rather we should encourage better, 
adaptable interfaces via examples, guidelines, tutorials, etc.  This could 
be a natural product of Mr. Cape's gnome gui enhancement request page: not 
only a discussion/list of possible gui enhancements, but ways to use the gui 
that exists effectively.  Not that I'm suggesting the Mr. Cape doesn't have 
enough to do already... :)

-Scott


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