Yes, but couldn't it be argued that in this sense a tutorial app --
in effect, just a slicker & thinner alternative to a textbook -- has
requirements-on-the-user's-attention different from a normal,
"productive" app? Even *opposite* requirements? Slow 'em down! Block
that skimming! OK, I know it isn't as simple (or as complicated?) as
that . . . I just keep remembering Einstein, Things should be as
simple as possible, and no simpler. But I didn't mean to start a UI
or HIG thread.
Charles Hartman
On Jul 5, 2005, at 7:31 AM, Thomas McGrath III wrote:
2 cents:
I agree. It is not good moving buttons in fields or groups. It
makes it too hard for users to develop a motor plan for those
buttons. A motor plan is what happens during touch typing or even
during walking where our muscles develop a plan to those activities
without having to think about it.
In fact having to think about it is what slows us down. Try to
think about the muscles in your legs moving while walking down the
stairs - careful because you might actually fall down. Using motor
plans is the 'only' way to become truly proficient at using
professional software. This is true for menus as well - constantly
moving menus around make a user stop and then have to search for
the menu and item visually.
There have been hundreds of papers and years of research done on
this. It is part of what I do for a living.
I think that games might be the exception to this where movement is
a part of the fun of the game.
Tom
On Jul 4, 2005, at 5:18 PM, Dan Shafer wrote:
Just my two cents -- and it's a holiday here so my brain may be
otherwise engaged -- I think putting buttons into scrolling fields
is a terrible UI idea. By definition, it puts certain
functionality out of the reach of the user until and unless s/he
scrolls the field. Lotus NOtes allowed this and every time I saw
an app designed to take advantage of it, users got confused.
I suspect I feel the same way about buttons in scrolling GROUPS.
Interactive functionality needs to be where users
can...well...interact with it, no?
Dan (who fears he's probably started another one of those "up your
opinion" threads that are so much fun)
On Jul 4, 2005, at 8:14 AM, Charles Hartman wrote:
On Jul 1, 2005, at 1:04 PM, Mathewson wrote:
I have just downloaded the SuperCard 4.5 demo and found
they have a new feature:
allowObjects
this lets the user embed object (images and so on) inside
FIELDS:
WOW - I would love scrolling text fields with pictures!
-- and buttons! (At the moment I'm doing this is a non-scrolling
field inside a scrolling group, but aside from being tedious that
has other disadvantages, such as the scroll-wheel not working
right.)
Charles Hartman
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Macintosh PowerBook G-4 OSX 10.3.9, OS 9.2.2, 1.25 GHz, 512MB RAM,
Rev 2.6
Advanced Media Group
Eagle Works Art & Sculpture
Semantic Compaction Systems
Prentke Romich Company
Prentke Romich International
SCIconics, LLC
Artist
Thomas J McGrath III
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