unity-design team mailing list archive

[GonzO <gonzo@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 2:18 AM, Thorsten Wilms <t_w_@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 06/09/2011 03:02 AM, GonzO wrote:
>>
> Regarding "intuitive": https://lists.launchpad.net/ayatana/msg01963.html

Talk about a post that misses the point of the word.

"Intuitive," WRT to design, means "easy to learn" or "able to be
learned without specifically being taught or having to read a manual"
- not "able to use without learning".

I had never laid eyes on an iPhone before, and with only a few moments
of bumping around, looking at the pictures and pushing buttons, I
could make a phone call.  I DID have to "learn" it, but could do so on
my own without a "getting started" wizard or reading a manual.  *That*
is an example of a successful, *intuitive* user-interface; denying
such exists is the height of naivete.


> How would you explain that some say that Blender has a great UI that allows
> very efficient use, while other say it's a total mess, impossible to make
> any sense of (and should be "redesigned")?

Dunno.  Don't use Blender or do any 3D-Modelling.


> Why would anyone use Gedit if there's Emacs and Vim?

Because one CAN make some use, even somewhat *advanced* use, out of
Gedit *without having to read the man page*.  The UI elements
(pull-downs, buttons, etc. etc.) _visibly present useful options to
the user_ for them to choose from, whereas with Vim/Emacs, there
simply is no getting around the fact that you HAVE to RTFM to do
anything with those two.

9/10 people I've seen run Vim for the first time couldn't even exit
it, whereas a big red "X" is so familiar in and out of computing that
practically no one ever has trouble with hit.


> How come a Formula 1 race car is rather unlike a Ford Focus?

Who cares?  The only question that matters is: can someone who knows
how to drive a standard transmission get either car from point A to
point B?


> Beginner and trained archer will *surely* have about the same opinion about
> and success with
http://www.pookiesarchery.com/Images/products/Archery/BearArchery/apprentice/Apprentice%20Bow/Apprentice%20Camo%20Main%20Image.jpg
> and
> http://composite-bow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hungarian_composite_bow20.jpg
> right?

Again, I think you're asking all the wrong questions.  The real
question would be, *can* a beginner and an expert use the second one?
Can an expert customize the second to be more like the first without
too much hassle?  In a good UI, the answers to both would be "Yes".

--G