unity-design team mailing list archive

[Ted Gould <ted@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2010-03-12 at 17:45 +0000, Ivanka Majic wrote:
> 1) The theme that is foremost in my mind is the fact that Lucid is an
> LTS.  
> We deployed in Alpha 3; we are monitoring the feedback and will make a
> descion about whether to keep the current order or tweak it in the
> next few weeks.
> 
> 2) Learning curve
> This is less of an issue than I had anticipated; after a very short
> amount of usage, neither button position nor order have any
> significant impact. 
> 
> 3) Compatibility with Mac OS and Windows
> We are designing solutions for Ubuntu. Windows and Mac OS can make
> changes. My father was always quite intent on reminding me that he was
> only ever interested in what I thought or did, not where I stood in
> relation to my classmates. In running usability tests with first time
> users, things like button order are quickly shaken off - no access to
> their iTunes library is a far bigger stumbling block in people's
> minds! 
> 
> 4) Resistance to change
> This is completely unavoidable and to be expected.
> 
> 5) Button order
> Is based on least destructive first (when reading left to right:
> cultural differences noted.)
> 
> 6) Fitts law, etc
> In devising tests the most important thing is to decide what you are
> measuring and why that matters.  For example, citing Fitts law (which
> I realise you don't mention but others have) is useful if one argues
> that time to button is the factor which is of most value to the user.
> If time matters most then the mouse is rarely the answer
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOMS).

7) Optimization for menu position is the wrong optimization

It seems that for most applications today menus are only used to access
more advanced functionality (the hidden 80%).  Where the majority of use
with an application is via toolbars and the scrollbar.  Toolbars are
across the window, and scrollbars are on the right.  Though, it's
unclear to me how many people use scrollwheels.

These screenshots tracking mouse position[1] while using Photoshop seem
to point to that for me.  But, of course, Photoshop has more palettes
which are less common in standard programs.  The program is available
here[2] but I haven't tried it.  It might be interesting to grab results
with users doing things like webbrowsing.

[1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/anatoliy_zenkov/4271592658/
[2] http://iographica.com/download/

8) Alignment with other close buttons

Other close type operations that appear through out the desktop always
appear on the right.  Tabs are an example.  Subwindows can also be an
example.  Perhaps we should move the tab close location as well?

9) The majority of people are right handed

This would make it more natural for those folks to do things on the
right side.  This isn't done with menus as menus are aligned
left-to-right like text.  But for items that have no relation to text it
would make sense to put them on the right side to match the majority of
user's natural tendencies.  I bought a Kindle DX[3], and I was worried
about the controls being only on the right, but I've found it
surprisingly natural (I'm right handed).

[3]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_kdxland_nav_more?nodeId=200375800#views

		--Ted

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part