RE: GNOME Window Manager

[Lion Kimbro <lion lithtech com>]

  Dear Mawarkus,

  Well, okay, so when SUN microsystems sponsers user testing...

  http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_pres/img0.htm

  Here are some selections:

http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_pres/text24.htm
Customizing Fonts

Most users went straight to Control Center
Users commented they were looking for "Properties", "Settings" or "Font
Size" 
Comments about unfamiliar terminology
"I don't know what a Sawfish Window Manager is" 
"I don't know what themes are" 
When given a hint, "I would never have guessed the 'Theme Selector' for
fonts 

http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_pres/text25.htm
Customizing Fonts

In Sawfish Appearance capplet:
One user spent 10 minutes there before clicking the "Browse..." button to
bring up the font selection dialog 
"I'm frustrated- I was in the right window and didn't know it" 
"I'm still not sure what this will be affecting" 
In Desktop Theme Selector capplet:
Found "use custom font" checkbox "annoying" and "not useful" 
2 users overlooked the checkbox completely, focusing instead on the
grayed-out font name button 

http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_pres/text26.htm
Customizing Fonts

Then we told them there was another place in gnomecc to change fonts, could
they find it?
"Why is that? Why would I have to go to separate places? Why would you make
it that difficult?" 
"That's unnecessarily complicated, why not have it all in one place?" 
On being told they had to go to Nautilus to change some of the other fonts
they could see on their desktop:
"I wouldn't expect to go to three locations to change the font" 
"That's cumbersome, I wouldn't like that" 

http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_pres/text28.htm
Summary

We are not our users- not all users are developers
Design for the next generation of users
who will be increasingly non-technical as Linux and Solaris continue to grow
outside their traditional marketplaces 
Conduct usability tests
Throughout the development lifecycle- but helpful only if feedback gets
incorporated back into the product! 
Look at other usability data
E.g. MIT usability study: http://web.mit.edu/is/usability/aui/ 

  So, there's the data.
  What's easy for X old timers to following isn't necessarily that obvious
for non-programmers.

  Let me emphasise; I'm not trying to suggest that we "take away" anything
from the window managers community.
  Everything should be compatible.
  But there should be a default GNOME window manager that is completely
invisible.
  By invisible, I mean one that the user need never ever even know about,
recognize, see, hear about, invisible in all forms known unto Man, for All
Times, All Ages, invisible unto Even the Mighty Lord Itself, though
programmers might have to deal with it now and then, and snoopy sysadmins.

  This is what I mean, and why I believe it is important.
  I don't think I have anything more I can say on this subject.
  (Just watch, someone's going to prove me wrong... {;D}=)

  Take care,
    Lion =^_^=



-----Original Message-----
From: mawarkus t-online de [mailto:mawarkus t-online de]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 10:51 AM
To: gnome-list gnome org
Subject: Re: GNOME Window Manager


+++ Wed, May 30, 2001 at 10:07:06AM -0700 +++
Lion Kimbro e-mails me. Film at 11. Reply right now, after the break.
> 
>   Dear Mawarkus,
> 
>   The benefit is that users don't need to know what window managers are.

Well, the current state of GNOME doesn't either. It requires users to
know that window managers exist, but I don't feel that's a
disadvantage.

mawa
-- 
Strohsternbastler!
Standlichtparker!
Strohhalmtrinker!
Silvesterverschläfer!

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