Comments on: UIEtips Article: Seven Critical Decisions for Designing Effective Applications, Part I http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Fri, 5 Dec 2008 13:45:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Benjamin Ho http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91467 Benjamin Ho Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:37:21 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91467 Design for satisfactory detail - What I've found through laying out the groundwork of the designing is to first understand the mental model and the context of the user. Without this, there is no design. We cannot design in a vacuum. In the WhiteTie example, it sounds like the designer had very little understanding in the users' motivation in using such a service. Design for satisfactory detail - What I’ve found through laying out the groundwork of the designing is to first understand the mental model and the context of the user. Without this, there is no design. We cannot design in a vacuum. In the WhiteTie example, it sounds like the designer had very little understanding in the users’ motivation in using such a service.

]]> By: Geoff A http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91406 Geoff A Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:06:57 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91406 I often find myself having to temper people's excitement with new technologies they may happen to see implemented elsewhere. As stated in the article, I do find that people are initially wowed by visually rich interactive effects. Unfortunately, when placed within the context of a different application, it's rare these suggestions would actually add value to it's users. I'm all for implementing technologies that enhance content presentation and user experience as long as they don't distract, or heaven forbid prevent, someone from using an application. I often find myself having to temper people’s excitement with new technologies they may happen to see implemented elsewhere. As stated in the article, I do find that people are initially wowed by visually rich interactive effects. Unfortunately, when placed within the context of a different application, it’s rare these suggestions would actually add value to it’s users.

I’m all for implementing technologies that enhance content presentation and user experience as long as they don’t distract, or heaven forbid prevent, someone from using an application.

]]> By: Juan Lanus http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91381 Juan Lanus Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:28:13 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91381 In item 3 it says, more or less: every now and then we hear someone proclaim, "Things online should work just like their real-world counterparts." IMO it's not so, things online must work better than their traditional counterparts. Also, things online are real-world too, not "virtual" but real, but this is another issue. Online has to be better for the user to switch, else why not staying with the thing as it always was? Online has advantages and drawbacks, the balance must be perceived as positive by the user. For example a book. Why should I switch to an online book instead of the paper counterpart? Online books (like PDFs) cost less and can be used immediately. These are advantages. Drawbacks are that one can not tote ans read them as easily as a paper book can except with an expensive instrument, the notebook. A real book can be bookmarked and reopened in the exact page in a second, while a PDF might require one to explore a directory, open the exact file, and find that page. The Windows "Documents" menu, and Acrobat's automatic bookmarking address this issues albeit not completely. For one that can't see the PDF can be read aloud by the PC while the paper book not. PDFs let the reader change the text size at will, obviously paper books can not at all. Many other differences can be accounted for. After brainstorming the list a more difficult task rears, which is ranking them from the point of view of the user, a normal user like that chubby aut of yours. Female users are better because they tend to be less dazzled by technological features. After ranking the pros and cons than you design to overcome the most blocking cons, or agree that the online solution is only marginally usable. And that's it! The online version of whatever does not have to be worse then tha traditional, but better. If it's not so then please refrain to implement it. Gone are the years when the web was "surfed" for pleasure and being online was exciting. Yes Jared you are darn right in that the online design has to leverage the user's prior experiences. Those experiences are made out of positive bits, and limitations. We who design must address those limitations while doing our best for preserving the positive features of the traditional implementations. In item 3 it says, more or less: every now and then we hear someone proclaim, “Things online should work just like their real-world counterparts.”

IMO it’s not so, things online must work better than their traditional counterparts.
Also, things online are real-world too, not “virtual” but real, but this is another issue.

Online has to be better for the user to switch, else why not staying with the thing as it always was?

Online has advantages and drawbacks, the balance must be perceived as positive by the user. For example a book. Why should I switch to an online book instead of the paper counterpart?

Online books (like PDFs) cost less and can be used immediately. These are advantages.
Drawbacks are that one can not tote ans read them as easily as a paper book can except with an expensive instrument, the notebook.
A real book can be bookmarked and reopened in the exact page in a second, while a PDF might require one to explore a directory, open the exact file, and find that page. The Windows “Documents” menu, and Acrobat’s automatic bookmarking address this issues albeit not completely.

For one that can’t see the PDF can be read aloud by the PC while the paper book not. PDFs let the reader change the text size at will, obviously paper books can not at all.

Many other differences can be accounted for. After brainstorming the list a more difficult task rears, which is ranking them from the point of view of the user, a normal user like that chubby aut of yours. Female users are better because they tend to be less dazzled by technological features.
After ranking the pros and cons than you design to overcome the most blocking cons, or agree that the online solution is only marginally usable.

And that’s it! The online version of whatever does not have to be worse then tha traditional, but better. If it’s not so then please refrain to implement it. Gone are the years when the web was “surfed” for pleasure and being online was exciting.

Yes Jared you are darn right in that the online design has to leverage the user’s prior experiences. Those experiences are made out of positive bits, and limitations. We who design must address those limitations while doing our best for preserving the positive features of the traditional implementations.

]]> By: University Update - AJAX - UIEtips Article: Seven Critical Decisions for Designing Effective Applications, Part I http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91357 University Update - AJAX - UIEtips Article: Seven Critical Decisions for Designing Effective Applications, Part I Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:53:04 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/10/22/uietips-article-seven-critical-decisions-for-designing-effective-applications-part-i/#comment-91357 [...] UIEtips Article: Seven Critical Decisions for Designing Effective Applications, Part I » This Summary is from an article posted at UIE Brain Sparks on Monday, October 22, 2007 The [...] [...] UIEtips Article: Seven Critical Decisions for Designing Effective Applications, Part I » This Summary is from an article posted at UIE Brain Sparks on Monday, October 22, 2007 The [...]

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