[Usability]Re: [HIG] Inductive user interfaces

[Seth Nickell <snickell stanford edu>]

Dunno, my experience with such interfaces in Windows has been that they
are a PITA. It all started with Windows Help, which you'd think would be
an ideal place to apply these techniques if they apply anywhere because:

a) its already hypertext (or should be)
b) users are most in need of a non-overwhelming interface when they
already need help

But my experience was largely negative. I found it harder to use in
general, and certainely more tedious. Other interfaces that have
appeared in Windows since then that follow this model have confirmed
this. So unless they're holding back... ;-)

This is just my own experience of course, perhaps it is more beneficial
to other people. I don't doubt that it improves the learnability of the
software, but I wonder if this is offset by the cost in making the
interface more clunky (and hence the net usability result is negative).
Its makes using the computer like filling out government forms ;-)

This is an interface I'd want in my tax program that I use once a year,
but not something I'd want in a program I use even once a week.

-Seth

On Fri, 2002-03-15 at 04:59, Calum Benson wrote:
> 
> Yes, I know it's written by M$, but it's an interesting little article:
> 
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwindev/html/iuiguidelines.asp
> 
> -- 
> CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
> mailto:calum benson ireland sun com    Desktop Engineering Group
> http://www.sun.ie                      +353 1 819 9771
> 
> Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems
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