Comments on: User relevant information http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/ the drawing table Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:56:49 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Bruno Silva http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-230 Bruno Silva Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:27:11 +0000 http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-230 You're right about the identity part. An application must use wisely its resources and avoid too much configuration. Most of the time all that configuration is unnecessary, most people will stay with the default configuration if it rocks, so that extra coding work and extra cycles on the client machine will be completely useless. About the strong colors in windows alphas you're right, and I've mentioned that if you choose to present the information on top, the bar must have very light colors. As for the Digital Catalog content I have to disagree, I don't know if you missunderstood me or something, but I didn't want to represent DC with any of those screens, just the specific scenario on the listview, of course the treeview will remain with current data. So, showing the details of an item in the listview, inside the listitem, would work very well, and since WPF can adapt its visual to the type of content you could easily create different templates for each type of object (category, volume, folder, file...). You’re right about the identity part. An application must use wisely its resources and avoid too much configuration. Most of the time all that configuration is unnecessary, most people will stay with the default configuration if it rocks, so that extra coding work and extra cycles on the client machine will be completely useless.

About the strong colors in windows alphas you’re right, and I’ve mentioned that if you choose to present the information on top, the bar must have very light colors.

As for the Digital Catalog content I have to disagree, I don’t know if you missunderstood me or something, but I didn’t want to represent DC with any of those screens, just the specific scenario on the listview, of course the treeview will remain with current data. So, showing the details of an item in the listview, inside the listitem, would work very well, and since WPF can adapt its visual to the type of content you could easily create different templates for each type of object (category, volume, folder, file…).

]]> By: thylux http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-229 thylux Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:03:28 +0000 http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-229 Customization by the user is something to be careful messing with. Over-customization will lead to the loss of the identity of the applications' interface and is always a good source of bugs and performance losses that may drive users away. I'm not against customization... As a user to many applications i believe that to be able to choose some aspects of my experience is very important. But, sometimes it's better to not customize than doing it wrong. In the case of that particular aspect of Digital Catalog, i think it should be sufficient to use different background color when those fields have values, so that the user can easily perceive that there's something written, as you've already stated. What Windows Vista had in their alpha releases to bring attention up to the bar was not only its position, but also its strong colors. But it's too aggressive... I like the solution you've presented with the 'Contacts' window, because that would permit a more natural way to show/hide the information and would also allow to template the information bar to better match the type of contents to show. In the case of having the information with the item, it wouldn't work so great in Digital Catalog, because of its hierarchical structure. Too confusing... Because of the number of indents to the information and the amount information necessary to present in itself. That version of Digital Catalog is built in Windows Forms, that isn't that easily flexible to implement such solutions, but i hope that with WPF in the UX version that won't be a problem... Customization by the user is something to be careful messing with. Over-customization will lead to the loss of the identity of the applications’ interface and is always a good source of bugs and performance losses that may drive users away.
I’m not against customization… As a user to many applications i believe that to be able to choose some aspects of my experience is very important. But, sometimes it’s better to not customize than doing it wrong. In the case of that particular aspect of Digital Catalog, i think it should be sufficient to use different background color when those fields have values, so that the user can easily perceive that there’s something written, as you’ve already stated.
What Windows Vista had in their alpha releases to bring attention up to the bar was not only its position, but also its strong colors. But it’s too aggressive…

I like the solution you’ve presented with the ‘Contacts’ window, because that would permit a more natural way to show/hide the information and would also allow to template the information bar to better match the type of contents to show.

In the case of having the information with the item, it wouldn’t work so great in Digital Catalog, because of its hierarchical structure. Too confusing… Because of the number of indents to the information and the amount information necessary to present in itself.

That version of Digital Catalog is built in Windows Forms, that isn’t that easily flexible to implement such solutions, but i hope that with WPF in the UX version that won’t be a problem…

]]> By: Bruno Silva http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-225 Bruno Silva Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:10:00 +0000 http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-225 Right, I agree, but I think we should provide an excelent out-of-the-box experience. Such experience shouldn't require the user to customize his interface, everything should be "right there" (or not, depending on the case). And my question is about the best experience for most users. Right, I agree, but I think we should provide an excelent out-of-the-box experience. Such experience shouldn’t require the user to customize his interface, everything should be “right there” (or not, depending on the case). And my question is about the best experience for most users.

]]> By: zEro http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-222 zEro Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:14:51 +0000 http://wpfbox.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/user-relevant-information/#comment-222 Nice article! What i think about the subject, is that the user should make his choice! We, programmers, designers, etc, should provide the user with several options, and he should choose in accordance with its necessities. What is relevant information for one user, maybe it isn't for another, i think nowadays, customization is the right attitude, implementing that, it's another story! Nice article!
What i think about the subject, is that the user should make his choice! We, programmers, designers, etc, should provide the user with several options, and he should choose in accordance with its necessities. What is relevant information for one user, maybe it isn’t for another, i think nowadays, customization is the right attitude, implementing that, it’s another story!

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