Tufte on Windows Phone 7 Series interface design • Hacker News Board

Re: Tufte on Windows Phone 7 Series interface design

#21

Post by niels_olson » Wed, Mar 03, 2010, 3:29 AM UTC

jlmendez wrote: post #11

Edward Tufte is definitely a recognized design guru but ever since I found out about him I have been _very_ puzzled about the design of his website. I would expect a design guru to have a better website.

Context, man, context. That site design is running Ars Digita, Philip Greenspun's original community system (http://openacs.org/), circa 1995. If I recall correctly, Greenspun helped set it up. Full disclosure: I am at least partially responsible for a few tweaks to the GUI circa 2007 (constrained the comments, added the local menus (with optional thumbnails).

Here's all the CSS for that site:

.fullwidthtable {}

.forum {color: #CC0000; font-size: 11px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;}

.text { font-size: 15px; color: #000000;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;}

.textsm { font-size: 14px; color: #000000;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;}

.textxsm { font-size: 13px; color: #000000;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;}

.link { text-decoration: none; color=#CC0000}

.link:hover { text-decoration: underline; color: #CC0000}

.belink { text-decoration: none; color=#000000}

.belink:hover { text-decoration: underline; color: #CC0000}

.taglink { margin-top: 4pt; }

Re: Tufte on Windows Phone 7 Series interface design

#22

Post by rimantas » Wed, Mar 03, 2010, 6:13 AM UTC

pedalpete wrote: post #17

glhaynes wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't used a Zune but I'd really like to. Have you used an iPhone or Android and, if so, do you feel like it's easier to tell scrollable vs. non-scrollable on Zune than them?

I have an iPod touch, so I'm familiar with the interface. In some ways it is MUCH simpler to tell scrollable vs non-scrollable. At the same time, it isn't really a huge issue on the iPhone, but yes there is a difference. The iPhone home screen may be the best example. I've got a screen full of icons, and nothing really tells me that there is another page of icons waiting (unless I look at the very small dots at the b…

  I've got a screen full of icons, and nothing really tells
  me that there is another page of icons waiting (unless I
  look at the very small dots at the bottom of the screen).

This thing only takes once to learn. From then on those small dots will tell you where in the screens sequence you are without taking much space.

  The Zune has the same effect, though it isn't necessary
  because they've added the negative space.

Without effect you might be left to wonder, is my device stuck, or is there really nothing more. When it springs back you are sure, that it responsive and there is indeed nothing more to see.

Re: Tufte on Windows Phone 7 Series interface design

#23

Post by rimantas » Wed, Mar 03, 2010, 6:21 AM UTC

jamesbritt wrote: post #10

bkudria wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I liked: "Of course Microsoft's customers are already familiar with deep layerings and complex hierarchies."

Seriously. I thought the mantra of presentations and UI design was Know your Audience. It would dopey to design for designers rather than trying things out with the people who are going to use the thing.

  I thought the mantra of presentations and UI design was
  Know your Audience. It would dopey to design for designers
  rather than trying things out with the people who are going
  to use the thing.

The problem is: your audience does not know itself. Your audience in general will only know what it wants. Knowing your audience means knowing that,knowing how it is different from what it needs, and knowing what it really needs.

At the famous Ford quote goes: “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse”.

Jobs and Ive do know those differences so asking questions "what would they say" is not "designing for designers" it is speculating the opinion of those who know the difference.