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Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

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Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#61

Post by mcphage »

lolinder wrote: post #54
mcphage wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The author missed the point: it is a less straightforward UX if it doesn't meet the user's needs. That was the entirety of the author’s point. That was what the whole article was about. That’s why they wrote it, so that you the reader would understand the very concept you believe they missed.

If that was the author's point, then they totally failed to convey it. The title is "users prefer less straightforward ux", and the transition point in the article is the author coming to the startling conclusion that users like a "puzzle". This is their current understanding of what happened: > So, despite it taking objectively longer for users to get their answers, they loved it. What they completely fail to unders…

> If that was the author's point, then they totally failed to convey it.

No, they conveyed it fine—because you understood it. You just thought the author didn't.

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#62

Post by lolinder »

mcphage wrote: post #61
lolinder wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that was the author's point, then they totally failed to convey it. The title is "users prefer less straightforward ux", and the transition point in the article is the author coming to the startling conclusion that users like a "puzzle". This is their current understanding of what happened: > So, despite it taking objectively longer for users to get their answers, they loved it. What they completely fail to unders…

> If that was the author's point, then they totally failed to convey it. No, they conveyed it fine—because you understood it. You just thought the author didn't.

That's... a really weird take. If I listen to someone rave about a conspiracy theory and I can see the flaws in their reasoning, does that mean that they meant all along for me to come to the opposite conclusion of what they said?

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#63

Post by goldenchrome »

sonofhans wrote: post #5

IMHO they’re taking the wrong lesson from this. Users don’t want complexity and they don’t want to hunt, but they desperately want not to waste time — they want some confidence that the action they’re about to take will further their goals. Showing an unordered list of unfamiliar names doesn’t further anyone’s goals, and it gives no confidence that further action will help, either. Why keep scrolling if all the names…

As a designer, this is absolutely spot on. I’d add that first time users benefit from the map, whereas experienced users might actually prefer the list view of favorites. It sounds like the app designer only tested with first-time users though.

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#64

Post by cuteboy19 »

mromanuk wrote: post #38
Eddy_Viscosity2 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was about to make a similar comment. The author even states this at the end "user's prioritize trails close to them, so the best way to show that is with a map". --- The first UX was NOT the most efficient way to show the information but the second one was. Therefore, users do in fact want the most efficient UX. He was just wrong about what that was.

I’m wondering what will happen if the first UX is ordered by proximity with distance to it and also a way to open it on the map. I think it’s worth trying it. Is a common use case for my searching for gas stations on Google maps

How would you make it clear to the user that they are sorted by proximity?

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#65

Post by patrick451 »

This is such a bizarre article. Listing trails by the most recent report is almost totally useless. Who chooses where to go hiking based on a criteria like? It's really hard to understand what variable the author is trying to optimize if they think this efficient in any way.

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#66

Post by mromanuk »

cuteboy19 wrote: post #64
mromanuk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m wondering what will happen if the first UX is ordered by proximity with distance to it and also a way to open it on the map. I think it’s worth trying it. Is a common use case for my searching for gas stations on Google maps

How would you make it clear to the user that they are sorted by proximity?

Showing the distance at the right of the list:

  First place     1.4km
  Second place    3.6km
  third place     9.0km

Re: Sometimes users prefer the less straightforward UX

#67

Post by cuteboy19 »

mromanuk wrote: post #66
cuteboy19 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would you make it clear to the user that they are sorted by proximity?

Showing the distance at the right of the list: First place 1.4km Second place 3.6km third place 9.0km

Strangely, Google maps doesn't do this and just presents us with a list without any context
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