GUI Bloopers

AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1--First PrinciplesIntroduction1.1 Principle 1: Focus on the users and their tasks, not the technology1.1.1 Understand the users 1.1.2 Understand the tasks 1.1.3 Interactive products and services function in a broad context1.2 Principle 2: Consider function first, presentation later1.2.1 What "consider function first" does not mean 1.2.2 What "consider function first" does mean 1.2.3 Develop a conceptual model1.3 Principle 3: Conform to the users' view of the task1.3.1 Strive for naturalness 1.3.2 Use the users' vocabulary, not your own 1.3.3 Keep program internals inside the program 1.3.4 Find the correct point on the power/complexity trade-off1.4 Principle 4: Don't complicate the users' task1.4.1 Common tasks should be easy 361.4.2 Don't give users extra problems to solve1.5 Principle 5: Promote learning1.5.1 Think "outside-in," not "inside-out" 1.5.2 Consistency, consistency, consistency, but don't be naive about it 1.5.3 Provide a low-risk environment1.6 Principle 6: Deliver information, not just data1.6.1 Design displays carefully; get professional help 1.6.2 The screen belongs to the user 1.6.3 Preserve display inertia1.7 Principle 7: Design for responsiveness1.7.1 Defining responsiveness and the lack thereof 1.7.2 Responsiveness on the Web: A big deal 1.7.3 Summary of responsiveness design principles1.8 Principle 8: Try it out on users, then fix it!1.8.1 Test results can surprise even experienced designers 1.8.2 Schedule time to correct problems found by tests 1.8.3 Testing has two goals: Informational and social 1.8.4 There are tests for every time and purposeFurther reading Chapter 2--GUI Component BloopersIntroduction 2.1 Complicating access to functionality 2.1.1 Blooper 1: Dynamic menus2.1.2 Blooper 2: Duplicate menu items 2.1.3 Blooper 3: Hidden functions 2.1.4 Blooper 4: No keyboard equivalents2.2 Unconventional application windows 2.2.1 Blooper 5: Confusing primary windows with dialog boxes2.2.2 Blooper 6: Commands are only on toolbar buttons 2.2.3 Blooper 7: All menubar commands are on toolbar2.3 Misusing choice controls and tabs 2.3.1 Blooper 8: Confusing checkboxes and radiobuttons2.3.2 Blooper 9: One-from-N settings with no initial value 2.3.3 Blooper 10: Using a checkbox for a non-ON/OFF setting 2.3.4 Blooper 11: Using command buttons as toggles 2.3.5 Blooper 12: Using tabs as radiobuttons 2.3.6 Blooper 13: Too many tabs2.4 Providing faulty feedback 2.4.1 Blooper 14: Buttons that trigger on "mouse down" 2.4.2 Blooper 15: Ambiguous selections 2.4.3 Blooper 16: Not showing busy cursor2.5 Abusing text fields 2.5.1 Blooper 17: Using text fields for read-only data2.5.2 Blooper 18: Overusing text fields 2.5.3 Blooper 19: Type-in fields that behave abnormallyFurther reading Chapter 3--Layout and Appearance BloopersIntroduction3.1 Poor layout and arrangement of windows and dialog boxes 3.1.1 Blooper 20: Mixing dialog box control buttons with content control buttons3.1.2 Blooper 21: Layout that doesn't reflect usual or natural order of settings 3.1.3 Blooper 22: Poor initial window location3.2 Goofs with group boxes and separators 3.2.1 Blooper 23: Misusing group boxes3.2.2 Blooper 24: Inconsistent group box style 3.2.3 Blooper 25: Inconsistent separator style3.3 Shoddy labeling and spacing 3.3.1 Blooper 26: Radiobuttons spaced too far apart3.3.2 Blooper 27: Inconsistent property label alignment 3.3.3 Blooper 28: Poor label placement 3.3.4 Blooper 29: Unlabeled scrolling container components3.4 Troublesome typography and graphic design 3.4.1 Blooper 30: Inconsistent text fonts3.4.2 Blooper 31: Tiny fonts 3.4.3 Blooper 32: Inactive controls insufficiently grayed outFurther reading Chapter 4--Textual BloopersIntroduction4.1 Unprofessional writing 4.1.1 Blooper 33: Inconsistent terminology4.1.2 Blooper 34: Unclear terminology 4.1.3 Blooper 35: Speaking Geek 4.1.4 Blooper 36: Careless writing4.2 Unfriendly messages and labels 4.2.1 Blooper 37: Clueless error messages4.2.2 Blooper 38: Misuse (or nonuse) of "..." on command labels 4.2.3 Blooper 39: Inconsistent use of colons on setting labels 4.2.4 Blooper 40: Tooltips that say the same thing as the visible label4.3 Misleading window titles 4.3.1 Blooper 41: Same title on different windows4.3.2 Blooper 42: Window title doesn't match invoking commandFurther reading Chapter 5--Interaction BloopersIntroduction5.1 Allowing implementation to dictate GUI 5.1.1 Blooper 43: Exposing the implementation to users5.1.2 Blooper 44: Asking users for random numbers 5.1.3 Blooper 45: TTY GUIs5.2 Presenting information poorly 5.2.1 Blooper 46: Overwhelming users with decisions and detail5.2.2 Blooper 47: Easily missed information 5.2.3 Blooper 48: Unexpected rearrangement of display 5.2.4 Blooper 49: Instructions that go away too soon5.3 Setting stumbling blocks for users 5.3.1 Blooper 50: Similar functions with inconsistent user interfaces5.3.2 Blooper 51: Unnecessary or poorly marked modes 5.3.3 Blooper 52: Installation nightmares5.4 Diabolical dialog boxes 5.4.1 Blooper 53: Too many levels of dialog boxes5.4.2 Blooper 54: Dialog boxes that trap users 5.4.3 Blooper 55: Cancel button doesn't cancel 5.4.4 Blooper 56: OK and Cancel do the same thingFurther reading Chapter 6--Web BloopersIntroduction6.1 Web structure and interaction bloopers 6.1.1 Blooper 57: Web site structure reflects organization structure or history6.1.2 Blooper 58: Back doesn't go where users expect 6.1.3 Blooper 59: Complicating searching6.2 Web component, layout, and appearance bloopers 6.2.1 Blooper 60: Hidden links6.2.2 Blooper 61: Links that don't provide enough information 6.2.3 Blooper 62: Buttons that provide no click feedback 6.2.4 Blooper 63: Displaying long lists as very long pagesFurther reading Chapter 7--Responsiveness BloopersIntroduction7.1 Common responsiveness bloopers (Bloopers 64-75) 7.1.1 Examples of responsiveness bloopers7.2 Reasons for poor responsiveness 7.2.1 Reason 1: The facts about responsiveness are not widely known7.2.2 Reason 2: UI designers rarely consider responsiveness during design 7.2.3 Reason 3: Programmers equate responsiveness with performance 7.2.4 Reason 4: Programmers treat user input like machine input 7.2.5 Reason 5: Developers use simple, naive implementations 7.2.6 Reason 6: GUI software tools, components, and platforms are inadequate 7.2.7 Reason 7: Managers hire GUI programmers who lack the required skill7.3 Avoiding responsiveness bloopers: Design principles 7.3.1 Responsiveness is not the same thing as performance7.3.2 Processing resources are always limited 7.3.3 The user interface is a real-time interface 7.3.4 All delays are not equal; the software need not do everything immediately 7.3.5 The software need not do tasks in the order in which they were requested 7.3.6 The software need not do everything it was asked to do 7.3.7 Human users are not computer programs7.4 Avoiding responsiveness bloopers: Techniques 7.4.1 Timely feedback7.4.2 Parallel problem solution 7.4.3 Queue optimization 7.4.4 Dynamic time management 7.4.5 Summary of responsiveness techniques 7.4.6 Overcoming the obstacles to adoption of responsiveness techniquesFurther reading Chapter 8--Management BloopersIntroduction8.1 Counterproductive attitude 8.1.1 Blooper 76: Misunderstanding what user interface professionals do8.1.2 Blooper 77: Treating user interface as low priority 8.1.3 Blooper 78: Discounting the value of testing and iterative design8.2 Counterproductive process 8.2.1 Blooper 79: Using poor tools and building blocks8.2.2 Blooper 80: Anarchic development 8.2.3 Blooper 81: No task domain expertise on the design team 8.2.4 Blooper 82: Giving programmers the fastest computersFurther reading Chapter 9--Software ReviewsIntroduction9.1 Eudora Pro 4.0 installation 9.1.1 The ordeal9.1.2 Conclusions9.2 Kodak Picture Disk 1.2 9.2.1 Executive summary9.2.2 Organization 9.2.3 Limitations 9.2.4 General 9.2.5 Startup 9.2.6 Main window 9.2.7 Slideshow dialog box 9.2.8 Slideshow window 9.2.9 Edit Picture window 9.2.10 Print Preview window 9.2.11 Print Setup dialog box 9.2.12 Print Setup Options dialog box 9.2.13 Rotate Picture dialog box 9.2.14 Organize Pictures dialog box 9.2.15 Export dialog boxChapter 10--War Stories of a User Interface ConsultantIntroduction10.1 A Fork in the Tale: Simplifying the controls of an interactive movie game 10.1.1 Background10.1.2 The analysis 10.1.3 Redesign: Physical actions 10.1.4 Redesign: Speech and thought 10.1.5 Redesign: Evaluation and discussion 10.1.6 Other aspects of the user interface 10.1.7 Lessons and concluding thoughts10.2 The Flintstones may be in your TV: Designing controls for a set-top box 10.2.1 Job 1: UI review that unexpectedly turned into a UI design10.2.2 Job 2: UI review to check implementation of design 10.2.3 Job 3: Emergency redesign of a front panel 10.2.4 Job 4: Second UI design 10.2.5 Lessons learnedAppendix: How This Book Was Usability Tested Bibliography Index About the Author