Re: Overwhelming Options
Re: Overwhelming Options
- Subject: Re: Overwhelming Options
- From: Andy Lee <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:17:17 -0400
On Sep 1, 2011, at 12:36 PM, Jeremy Matthews wrote:
> I have an app with some groups of checkboxes...and it really takes up too much space in the UI.
>
> It is a utility app, but it has about 7 different matricies of about 6 checkboxes each....so lots of options...and it can be overwhelming at times. I'd like to design a better UI so as to not take up so much space in the UI, and at the same time, make it appear a bit simpler, and hide categories (of checkboxes) unless you need to see them.
Some thoughts for managing the complexity:
Maybe use a tab view, with each matrix in a different tab.
If possible given the nature of your app, show previews that change in real time as the user fiddles with settings.
See if there are alternate ways of presenting choices that might be more intuitive.
Consider, for example, the autosizing UI in IB (at least in Xcode 3; I haven't looked at it in Xcode 4). The struts and springs interface is essentially another way of presenting six binary choices in a way that's more intuitive than checkboxes. And the autoresizing preview updates automatically as you change the settings.
It's very possible your app isn't amenable to more visually creative solutions. Sometimes six checkboxes is the best you can do. But maybe this can be at least food for thought.
--Andy
> I'm considering migrating to an OutlineView, or perhaps the new View-based TableView...but I was wondering what other folks have done out there to make sure their users are not overwhelmed by having too many choices at their disposal.
>
> Thanks,
> j
_______________________________________________
Cocoa-dev mailing list (email@hidden)
Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list.
Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden