Hi Paolo, all, just copying your mail from the archive in here, because I lost your original mail (see my other mail sent from a wrong account so it needs some time for approval, I guess)!
Paolo wrote: > I have done some progress in the Fields dialog (or Cross-Reference, as previously referred).Some points we must take into account, beyond what already said by Bjorn and me, is the number of clicks needed to complete a task versus how easy is to do them (by easy, I mean the distance between the two clicks and how clear is their visibility on the screen). Thinking about it, I made two mock-ups in HTML & CSS to the Wizard proposal. I just made the first step suggested by Björn, so there is not options for each task yeat. > You can interact with them in: > http://linkedej.com.br/libreofice-paulo/LibreOffice-Fields-Mockup-1.html > http://linkedej.com.br/libreofice-paulo/LibreOffice-Fields-Mockup-2.html > (Just tested in Firefox and Chrome) > > The first proposal has in the first step just 2 task options: Set a field & Insert a field. The second step allow to set the field type and configure its proprieties. Done! > > The second proposal has in the first step the choose of field type in each task (Set and Insert). The second step just allow to configure the field proprieties. Done! > > In the Proposal 1, each task takes 2 or 3 clicks to be done. In the Proposal 2, 2 clicks ever. But think is easier complete a task inProposal 1 than 2 because it takes more time to look all possibilities now in the first step than just choose between 2 actions and then refine your choice. > > If there is any a better way to present the Step 1 in the Proposal 2, keeping its 2 clicks and allowing easy to eye choise, I'd like to know. :D > > Björn, I hope one of these proposals fit to your ideas. otherwise, please say me then I make a new mockup. :) I'd like to know your opinion on our next steps. First of all: Thank you - great work! Your mocks point us to the unsolved fundations I wanted to work on today, but unfortunately won't come to. But I will spend a couple of hours in a train tomorrow, so I am optimistic I get to some results then. The fundations we need to understand, before we can actually find a really good interface solution is a clustering of the different types of fields. You have done the clustering by "New" and "Existing". I am not 100% convinced this is the best clustering, because it is too general. I would like to find someting between perhaps 5 to 10 (ideal would be 7 - remember the limitations in the human short term memory) categories, the user can decide in the first step. Each presenting again 5 to 10 fields that in the next step can be configured (would give us room for up to 100 different types of fields we can add to LibO, so making this a sustainable solution for whatever kind of fields will be added in the future). My main problem here is, that I do not understand all types of fields available - which would be very helpful if trying to find a decent clustering... Additionally we should introduce some comfort functionallity like a filter mechanism, recently used or perhaps even favorite fields for quick retrival of the wanted fields. Summing it up: Version 2 is much better than version 1, but still leaves room for further improvement. Ok, more - including some mocks and a suggestion for a clustering - hopefully tomorrow. Best, Björn Am Dienstag, 25. Januar 2011, 14:11:39 schrieb Paulo José: > Hi Björn! :) > > On 24-01-2011 14:26, Björn Balazs wrote: > > My appologies for not stronger pointing to this being a thread. But I > > think this: > > [...] > > is not a waste of time, because you had the time to get to know this > > dialogue much better and hey - we need to iterate towards a good > > solution anyhow. > > Yeah, you're totally right! :D > > > So how can this dialogue be improved? > > > > I think the approach of a tabbed interface is wrong in the first place. > > Why? > > > > What do user do in here? They want to INSERT a field / variable etc. or > > CONFIGURE the set field. > > I would include that user can insert Databases to document. Perhaps this > should not be here... :) > > > What will user NOT do in here? User do not want to change a set field to > > something totally different in this dialogue. If they want to do so, > > they can simply delete the set field and add a new one. > > For sure! ;) Great point! > > > What is the conclusion? 1. We need to make it as easy as possible to > > find the right field for the user. 2. We need to make it as easy as > > possible to configure the set field (e.g. update the date in a fixed > > date field). > > Yeah, and it includes make it easier to user search and finds an > existent reference (or another field), like Cedric initially had > pointed, because could be many of them in a big document. > > > How can we achieve this? > > 1. We need a wizard, that really helps the user to find the field he > > needs. This is basically the content included in the tabs and in the > > "Type" column. Also some content of the "Select" column would be of > > relevance (e.g. the Select column for Type==Sender or Type==Statistics > > should rather be included in the wizard, while the Select Column of > > Type==Date or Type==Author would rather be part of step 2. > > I got it. It means these fields that have 3 steps to complete (Sender, > Statistics) could be complete by 2 steps. Great! :) Although, it's > important find a way to don't bloat the first step and make it clear. > > > 2. For each Field the user can insert we need a specialized dialogue > > that > > allows to intuitively configure the content of the field. Perhaps we > > need to allow some interaction like: remove the field and start the > > wizard again to insert a new field without loosing relevant formating > > options - but I am not sure about that. > > > > So, Paulo - and anyone else interested: > > > > I guess we should start with step 1. How should a wizard look like that > > allows the user to comfortabely select the wanted field? This wizard > > should be capable to add any new functionality that can possible make > > it into LibO at any time. It should be informative, so the user knows > > wether he has found the right field and it could make suggestions about > > any related field, the user might be searching for. > > Yeah, by informative I think it could present some short, friendly and > objective text about the possibilities of this dialog. Would be great > allow to user preview the result, to make sure he gets what he wants > before complete the wizard. If the user make any step wrong or changes > its mind, should be easy change any step of wizard, no need to start all > steps again. > > I'm thinking about a wizard gradually filling with options the dialog, > and emphasizing the current step. Under all, a preview box showing the > result. Each step could present some informations and along the process, > they could be changed to better helps the user. Will be great if the > user can't need to use Help to complete this wizard, and I totally agree > with you about it should be intuitive, above all. > > > Once we have a solution for this, we can then make our way through the > > individual dialogues needed to present the different kind of fields > > (2.). > > > > What do you think? Please provide mocks that we can discuss! > > Alright, I will try to work on some mock-ups and then show them to > community discuss. :D Björn, you really gave great suggestions and made > a good summary of what we should do. Thank you! :D > > Best, > ~Paulo -- Voluntary Open Source Usability: http://www.OpenUsability.org Commercial Open Source Usability: http://www.OpenSource-Usability-Labs.com -- Unsubscribe instructions: E-mail to design+h...@libreoffice.org List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/www/design/ *** All posts to this list are publicly archived for eternity ***
