Comments on Ten Quotable Moments: Challenges and Responses for UI Designers

Johnnie Manzari — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

I was nodding my head the whole time I read this article. I’m not sure about other designers that work in-house, but recently things have started to change. With a lot of projects, the UI buck stops with the designer. So although you get the comment “Hey, can you add a big button up top for this so that the feature stands out more?” it doesn’t really matter because in the end I get to make the final call. My typical response these days is “I’ll do my best within such and such constraints.” Even if it’s a dumb idea, I don’t argue; I just say I’ll do my best.

Eric Diamond — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Loved the list. Especially the “let’s make it an option…” I often find that a little “mother-in-law” research, polling 4 or 5 people who generally fit the user profile, and doing a quick usability test based on some simple paper prototypes can usually be very effective in arguing your case. I can usually resolve the issue within a day. Often, when faced with the prospect of such testing, many of the “I don’t want to control everything, just this little bit,” type will back down.

I have to confess that I have very little respect for those who base their assertions on the “trust me, I’m an expert,” method of persuasion. (So when the tables are turned, I cannot blame them) If I cannot convince the powers that be on a particular interface design issue based on merits, a bit of quick research is often better than a flurry of emails to get an issue resolved.

Eric

michael — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Read this just after our President said, “Let’s make all the links bright red!”

I sent him that piece of the article, now he’s actually stopping himself before insisting on bigger icons or flashing buttons.

Bernard Farrell — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Great article, I got several wonderful laughs from the Uncharitable interpretations.

With respect to number 3, I’ve started to think about dialog boxes in the same way as I think about goto statements in code. That is they are disruptive and often hard to recover from (as a user).

My thinking follows directly from comments that Alan Cooper made in the Dialog Boxes chapters of both versions of About Face.

I look forward to more comic relief in the future.

Alan Cooper — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Thanks for this excellent list!

It's amazing how people think they can design interaction even if they have NO training, tools, experience, responsibility, interest or aptitude.

My favorite comment is, of course: “Somebody might want…”

thanx,
Alan

David Krieger — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

My favorite bad UI moment came several projects ago, when the team leader enthusiastically presented to us his proposed UI solution for rendering complex task information “intuitively understandable by any normal end-user.” Ignoring our growing incomprehension, he continued his tortuous explanation until one brave soul suggested that his solution was not intuitive at all. At that point, he turned to momentarily consider the convoluted mess he had made on the whiteboard. Then aiming his angry glare back at us he shouted “Well, look at it until it becomes intuitive.”

Truly not just any old inmate was in charge of this asylum. This inmate was criminally insane.

Brian R. Krause — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Within an hour after this article went live, I got the following e-mail from a client. (I asked for permission to post it, and the reply granting permission got snagged by a spam filter!)

Anyway, I am not making this up!

> 2. After seeing our online … demo, ... and … both
> suggested that the … UI should have the active tab in
> a different color. Right now it is not clear which tab you are on.

This has been brought up before. Our UI expert (Brian) replied that it
was intentional that the difference is subtle. I don’t remember the
exact argument, but the gist was that the focus should be on the main
form where the user will input his values, and not on which active tab
he’s on.

Why should the user always be reminded of what tab he is on? He should
select the tab he wants, then go to work on the page, and not be
distracted by what active tab he’s on. In addition, sometimes the page
doesn’t belong to any tab (e.g. query results) and it might confuse a
user who is used to seeing a highlighted active tab.

I think sometimes good UI principles conflict with what people are used
to and therefore expect. What do we go with in such a case?

Brian, would you like to chime in? I hope I did your reasoning justice
:)

My response:

You got it right. Especially the part about some pages having an
obviously highlighted tab and some not.

You also got it right that good UI principles should result in
software that does what people expect and are used to, except I was
trying to do that here!

I believe that what people are used to is the 3D shading on a tab
changing when the tab is at the front, which is exactly what happens
in Windows. The Mac makes a more dramatic color change. Websites
vary in what they do.

I will add two minor points to what you said. First, people will be
looking at the … UI for long periods of time, and a tab that calls
attention to itself will be somewhat tiresome. Most users will be
regular users. So, I would tend to discount … and …’s reaction if
it is a first impression, which I gather it is, from the demo comment.
In the context of using the system, and using it regularly, I don’t
think it’s an issue.

Second, the tab being active means “You’re already on this page; don’t
click this tab.” Calling attention to the active tab, the one you
can’t click on, would invite people to click it anyway. The current
shading shows what you can’t click on without making a big deal about
how you can’t click on it.

Nav — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

Nice. This list along with Coopers “Inmates are running…” will be a good combination…

leMel — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

This doesn’t offer as much constructive solution, but I get a big kick out of browsing this every day:

http://www.derailer.org/clientquotes.php

eokyere — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:26 GMT

excellent post… buttresses the need for problem statements being as abstract as possible coupled extensive—even complete—requirements engineering

Claudia Urschbach — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:25 GMT

Thank you! Great fun to read an article about my everyday work life! Will read the article every time some of the programmers start this kind of conversation with me. Give humour a chance!

Livia Labate — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:25 GMT

The “We have to force them to, in as friendly a way as possible” is by far the most common one I get. It is apparently impossible to make some folks see that they are not the users and the users will not have read the site’s plan and documentation. Great list!

subimage — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:25 GMT

Wonderful article. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard all this. Glad to know I’m not crazy.

Charles — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:25 GMT

Excellent list that I now have to share with all people involved on my project.

I’m also a big fan of “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug that gives a no nonsense approach to what usuability is.

christina — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:51:25 GMT

Alogn these lines, I highly recommend Paula Scher’s Make It Bigger http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568983328/elegant…

Lots of insight into helping nondesigners understand design and the design process.