[Usability] [Fwd: Re: [Fwd: Re: Zoom Controls]]

[Allan Day <allanpday gmail com>]

Forwarding Hylke's response to my original post:

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Hylke Bons <hylkebons gmail com>
To: allanpday gmail com
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: [Usability] Zoom Controls]
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:17:20 +0100

> * To me, the feedback provided by sliders or percentage indicators (like
> those shown in Nautilus and EoG's statusbar) doesn't seem particularly
> useful. Generally, a user doesn't need to know if they are zoomed at
> 150% or if they have zoomed through half of the magnification range.

I agree about the relative to the zoom end part, but the % indication
is very useful to me as an icon designer.
I think there are also a lot of use cases where they can be handy to
people taking pictures.
Removing it probably won't affect a huge group, but leaving it in
doesn't either.

> * Sliders can be fiddly and difficult to use. This is partly because
> such sliders are typically horizontal and partly because their effects
> can be a bit wild and disorientating. Zoom ranges tend to be large,
> sliders short.

Completely agree.

> * The icons used for zooming are a bit problematic. Each of them
> features a magnifying glass containing either a + or a - or a 1 or a
> kind of box (for best fit). Though the magnifying glass does a good job
> in saying 'these are zoom controls', it introduces unnecessary
> repetition when you have two or three zoom icons next to each other.
> There's too much noise and the magnifying glass reduces the presence of
> the + or - or whatever.

We fixed this in 2.30. We don't have the loupes anymore as zoom icons.
instead we just use squares with marks in them. Like [+], [-], [1].

> * Best fit and normal zoom buttons should give feedback - they should
> appear depressed when zoom is at their level.

Agreed.

> * The relationship between normal zoom and 1:1 zoom seems a bit fuzzy.
> In EoG, 1:1 is described as 'Normal Size'. Nautilus also has 'Normal
> Size', but it is something quite different. The icon for normal size is
> called 'zoom-original' but would seem to convey the notion of 1:1,
> rather than the notion of 'Normal Size' used by Nautilus.

'Normal size' seems best to me. I think 'Normal Zoom' only works in English.


> * Apps should use a standard set (and arrangement) of buttons.
I think it differs a lot per app. We should assess each app and see
what is needed.

> * Avoid the idea/word 'Normal', since this could be confusing (different
> people will have different ideas of what normal is). Instead, use Best
> Fit and some notion of 1:1 when it is needed (maybe '1:1 Zoom'?).
> Typically, Best Fit will be the default view.

'Best Fit' seems the best translatable.

Hylke