Re: Aqua Interface Guidelines & Close Window location ?
Re: Aqua Interface Guidelines & Close Window location ?
- Subject: Re: Aqua Interface Guidelines & Close Window location ?
- From: Mark Eaton <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 17:54:07 -0700
On Wednesday, September 19, 2001, at 05:22 PM, Matthew Formica wrote:
What seems logical for those developing the
implementation isn't always logical to the user running the app.
This statement bears emphasizing. I see far too many software developers
try to design 'logical' UIs, and it seems if anything slightly more
common among former NeXT developers. Don't design a user interface the
way that *you* think your users should work, design it the way that you
know them to work (hint: usability studies). If usability testing shows
that users expect the "Close" menu item to be in the same menu as the
"Open" menu item, then by god it should be there or you had better have
a really good reason for not putting it there. What may seem like a
'logical' UI design decision can hurt usability.
Saying that 'intuitive user interface' is an oxymoron is not far from
the truth. However, an interface can be made more usable for a larger
percentage of users by making it consistent and predictable. If 99 out
of 100 apps put the "Close" menu item in the File menu, then the 1 that
doesn't is being inconsistent. Inconsistency leads to confusion
(especially arbitrary inconsistency). This is what UI Guidelines are
*about*, making a single (sometimes arbitrary) design choice out of
possibly dozens of reasonable alternatives, and standardizing on it in
order to give the user predictability.
Having said all that, just put your Close menu item in the File menu :-)