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Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

hadermann.be

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Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#51

Post by diziet »

coldtea wrote: post #28
userbinator wrote: post #9

I agree with some of the points (like ambiguous icons and vague error messages), but not all of them. ‘If you are an X, then you have to fill in Y and Z. If you are not an X, please only fill in Z, unless Z=1, then you should fill Y too.’ This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y." Although I'm not surprised that refactoring boolean expressions is something that a lot of people…

> This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y.". If I have to solve an equation to user your app, a) I won't, b) It's badly designed.

Fill in your address. If you reside in a PObox or appartment, fill in the appartment box.

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#52

Post by NinoScript »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #39
TheLoneWolfling wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People think, naively, that you don't need to localize icons. And yet a lot of the time icons should be localized. Or rather: You can design an icon that doesn't need to be localized. But unless you design for it, it very well may need to be localized. Things like thumbs-up/down, any sort of animal icon... Even trash cans.

Do you have any examples of animal icons that should have been localized? I'm intrigued.

🐉. (Dragons)

http://utkin1.ru/sites/default/files/dragons.jpg

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#53

Post by mdpopescu »

coldtea wrote: post #28
userbinator wrote: post #9

I agree with some of the points (like ambiguous icons and vague error messages), but not all of them. ‘If you are an X, then you have to fill in Y and Z. If you are not an X, please only fill in Z, unless Z=1, then you should fill Y too.’ This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y." Although I'm not surprised that refactoring boolean expressions is something that a lot of people…

> This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y.". If I have to solve an equation to user your app, a) I won't, b) It's badly designed.

That is not an equation...

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#54

Post by _sh »

coldtea wrote: post #28
userbinator wrote: post #9

I agree with some of the points (like ambiguous icons and vague error messages), but not all of them. ‘If you are an X, then you have to fill in Y and Z. If you are not an X, please only fill in Z, unless Z=1, then you should fill Y too.’ This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y." Although I'm not surprised that refactoring boolean expressions is something that a lot of people…

> This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y.". If I have to solve an equation to user your app, a) I won't, b) It's badly designed.

"Fill in your job title. If you are unemployed or a student, put N/A."

Hardly equation solving.

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#55

Post by vincentbarr »

> "Too much text/instructions"

I disagree that too many characters or too much instruction is a sign of a bad interface.

For users trying to complete their desired task, an interface lacking instruction/explanation will often cause lower task completion rates and longer average task completion times than an interface with verbose instructions. This is especially true for new users.

Don't get me wrong: I dislike wordiness and consider myself an advocate for simplicity, minimalism, and concision – and that might be the author's sentiment. However, while bloated instruction may hinder task completion and user engagement, incomplete instruction will prevent it.

I believe more useful measures of good instruction are when it is presented, where it is presented, and how well it is understood by users.

For example, a well-designed mobile app avoids a text-heavy interface by disclosing the appropriate amount of instruction at the appropriate time. Limited screen real estate happens to be a handy constraint in this case, and transfers more instruction responsibility onto a well-designed onboarding wizard. That wizard will really only get one shot to educate users, usher them to their 'aha' moment as quickly as possible, and hold their hand through the few actions that strongly influence successful user engagement and retention.

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#56

Post by kstenerud »

_sh wrote: post #54
coldtea wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y.". If I have to solve an equation to user your app, a) I won't, b) It's badly designed.

"Fill in your job title. If you are unemployed or a student, put N/A." Hardly equation solving.

Job Title: ___________ [ ] I am unemployed or a student

Checking the box disables the job title field.

You don't need to make user interfaces that behave like paper forms.

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#57

Post by asdfas123414 »

vincentbarr wrote: post #55

> "Too much text/instructions" I disagree that too many characters or too much instruction is a sign of a bad interface. For users trying to complete their desired task, an interface lacking instruction/explanation will often cause lower task completion rates and longer average task completion times than an interface with verbose instructions. This is especially true for new users. Don't get me wrong: I dislike wordi…

You are absolutely correct with your description of the user interface principles you espouse. Provide the right help information at the right time but otherwise stay out of the way.

However, I believe the author's sentiment was more focused on situations where programmers use instructions to avoid more complex display or validation logic. IE, less work to add some text than to properly display/hide form sections based on skip patterns.

"If you are an X, then you have to fill in Y and Z. If you are not an X, please only fill in Z, unless Z=1, then you should fill Y too." This is typical of programmers being ‘smart’ by avoiding some extra steps/code...

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#58

Post by [deleted] »

vincentbarr wrote: post #55

> "Too much text/instructions" I disagree that too many characters or too much instruction is a sign of a bad interface. For users trying to complete their desired task, an interface lacking instruction/explanation will often cause lower task completion rates and longer average task completion times than an interface with verbose instructions. This is especially true for new users. Don't get me wrong: I dislike wordi…

[deleted]

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#59

Post by userbinator »

navait wrote: post #13
userbinator wrote: post #9

I agree with some of the points (like ambiguous icons and vague error messages), but not all of them. ‘If you are an X, then you have to fill in Y and Z. If you are not an X, please only fill in Z, unless Z=1, then you should fill Y too.’ This could be simplified considerably: "Fill in Z. If you are X or Z=1, fill in Y." Although I'm not surprised that refactoring boolean expressions is something that a lot of people…

Literacy and user interfaces are not related. Literacy is a tool people use to record and transmit information, which in turn allows people to learn and improve themselves. Software is meant to accomplish a task, the UI being the way you explain to the computer I don't care much about the process of how paper and bindings are made, I just want to be able to read my book. Most users prefer the software just do what th…

I'd argue that computer literacy also "allows people to learn and improve themselves with respect to using computers".

I don't care much about the process of how paper and bindings are made, I just want to be able to read my book.

"I don't care much about the process of how sentences and grammar work, I just want to be able to know what the book says."

We force people to learn reading, writing, maths, and various other subjects in school because they have long-term advantages in improving the overall knowledge of society and empowering its population, despite many of them finding it useless and frustrating initially.

With the permeation of computers everywhere, perhaps the same should be true with their interfaces: they should not be dumbed-down or excessively hand-holding, nor have an entirely flat learning curve. Computers are powerful and immensely flexible machines, and in some ways I think it's a shame that we're taking away a lot of great opportunities for learning by making UIs that encourage their users to remain in a state of blissful ignorance...

Re: Recognising a Bad User Interface at First Glance

#60

Post by anigbrowl »

On the other hand, developers have a knack of seeing everything as the user interface they’re most familiar with: their development IDE.

Along with the bizarre idea that the best interface of all is one that forces the user to write code of their own. Look folks, if everyone wanted to type then text adventures would still be top of the video game charts.

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