Re: [Usability] Tab Implementation

[Allan Day <allanpday gmail com>]

> > The review of previous discussions on tabs is going pretty well, and 
> > I'm starting to wonder about where this should go from here. The 
> > obvious thing to do would be to develop the review into a set of 
> > recommendations on tab implementation. Is that a good idea though? 
> > What would be the best way to go about doing that?
>
> If possible, it would be good to see feedback from some sort of 
> usability testing on the various options we're trying to decide 
> between, to inform any recommendations.  In particular, we probably 
> need to figure out which behaviours ought to be standardised, and 
> which should remain controllable by apps and/or user preference.

Indeed. Doing this work, I've become aware of the differing needs of 
applications with regards to tabs [1]. As a result, the idea of a common 
set of guidelines is far from straightforward. I'm also mindful of the 
work that is going on following the UI Hackfest [2, 3], and how any 
recommendations we eventually come up with will fit into that.

> There are various ways one might attempt to get that feedback.  
> Showing paper prototypes to people is one, but given the dynamic 
> nature of tabs, it might not be the best. Interactive (D)HTML or Flash 
> mockups of various 'apps' using different proposed tab behaviours 
> might be another.  Actual gtk mockups are a third.  It largely depends 
> on who volunteers to help, and what skillsets they have :)

I'm a social researcher by trade (though I'm not from a usability 
background, I do do work relating to human-computer/machine 
interaction), and I'd be willing to contribute in that regard. I wonder 
whether it would be enough to study people using existing tabbed 
applications, instead of using mockups?

Best,

Allan

[1] The varying needs of applications seems to very much come down to 
patterns of use, so it would be great to have some data on that. How 
many tabs do users have open at any one time? In what order and pattern 
are tabs opened? For what purposes and in what situations are tabs used?
[2] http://live.gnome.org/Boston2008/GUIHackfest/WindowManagement
[3] http://live.gnome.org/Boston2008/GUIHackfest/WindowManagementAndMore