[Sigia-l] Re: first principals (bias in cataloging & classification)

[John O'Donovan-INTERNET]

Sean coon wrote:
>> Visual design, as Peter so aptly stated, is a separate process all together.

Does everyone think there is such a huge disconnect here? I hope not...

Visual design I believe is critical to the satisfaction a user has with an interface - and to be really good it has to display and react with high visual quality. this means Interaction and visual design are closely linked.

Gupta, Anu wrote:
>> Sure, but often isn't it better to take an early decision [and satisfice the requirements]

This is not my experience of front end design - especially when I have been working on "applications" and in Flash.

I don't believe there is a right solution and would explore options. I would agree with Peter that you should not brain dump all your ideas on the client but I have found it valuable to try different ideas on users. I learnt a long time ago that this can give insight and make you realise that you may not know everything that you thought you did.

Let me explain...with a bit of a case study...

****
I wrote a system with a front end that allowed content data and metadata entry for a broadcaster to record information about content on tapes. The interface was complex as it required integration between hardware (tape machine, barcode printer) and the software in real time to both read and write information to tape.

The users had previously had a DOS based system and were used to using a DOS based system with shortcuts. We used the same shortcuts for them in the windows version. This is what they said they wanted. One of the shortcuts downloaded the current time from the tape machine to record the timecodes.

However, a side effect of the windows tool being used was that Double clicking a field had the same effect as one of the shortcuts. When I went back to monitor usability of the system and to get comments and feedback, they said 

"We really like the new feature for downloading times!"

I puffed my chest out and said "Thanks we tried to make it work well for you guys and gals"

They said "Yeah - we never realised how much easier it would be to double click the field rather than use the shortcut - we now hardly use the keyboard at all to enter times!"

I pretended I had meant to do this all along...
*****

OK, so some of this comes with prototyping but some doesn't. Once you layout a prototype you define a scope for your approach and this can trap you if you are not careful - especially technically. 

Different designs and approaches can be useful, especially to combine the best from may. How many times have you heard people say "I like to use app X for doing this, but I wish it did some things like App y"

Cheers,

jod




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