[thelist] survey says...

[Lachlan Cannon]

Timothy J. Luoma wrote:
>
> Just finished reading "UI Design Update Newsletter – December, 2002" URI:
> http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/dec02.asp
>
> I thought most of what it had to say was very good (they talk about points
> for font size, but other than that....)

Ugh.. I don't have any 'recently released studies' to back me up, but
there is so much crap here...

"3.  Do use Flash to enhance interfaces knowing that 98% of browsers are
capable of playing Flash without downloading."

I have a technology that works in 100% of browsers, and another one that
can be used to 'enhance' interfaces for 90% without any detrimental
effects on the other 10%. They're called HTML and JavaScript. And what's
this crap about 'enhancing' anyway? What exactly can Flash do to make
interfaces work better than hyperlinks and forms can? Not to mention
that if you use it for the nav part of the interface you're totally
locking people without it out until they get the plugin.

"14.  Do use any of the most common font styles (e.g., Arial, Verdana,
Georgia, Times New Roman), either serif or sans serif fonts, to elicit
the fastest possible reading speed."

How does a font being common equate to it being faster to read? Is
faster better than easier on the eye, anyway?

"15.  Do use sans serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Verdana) to satisfy user
preferences."

Surely satisfying user preferences is not touching fonts at all...

"19.   Do not consider users' judgments about "ease of use" as
accurately representing the speed with which a task can be performed."

I'd rather have a user feel satisfied than feel unsatisfied and take
half as long.

"23.   Do not be concerned that frequent keyboard use will cause carpal
tunnel syndrome."

What the hell? What has that got to do with designing a page?

"24. Do design Web sites primarily for use with the Microsoft's Windows
operating system, unless different (more specific) information about the
operating systems being used by the target audience is available.

25. Do design Web sites primarily to be displayed by the Internet
Explorer and Netscape browsers."

Or just design it to work properly everywhere. It's really not that hard.

"26.   Do design Web sites to work best with screen resolutions of the
majority of typical users, which worldwide is now 800x600 pixel resolution."

Or you could just design liquidly.

"30.  Do design a search capability so that most users will complete a
successful search on their first attempt."

Surely if it has to work properly on the first attempt it'd be god
enough to work for every attempt.

"33.

Do design Web sites using a "Fluid" layout, because:

     * Users believed that the "Fluid" layout was best for reading and
for finding information, and
* There were no reliable performance differences among the methods (left
justified, centered or fluid)."

They just said to design sites for specific resolutions, now they're
taking it back?

"36.  Do design Web sites with the links in a frame on the left margin,
because users preferred the frames rather than having the links scroll
off the page."

And that's worth all the disadvantages of frames because?

Don't suppose they've heard of position: fixed;... hmm looking at their
HTML doesn't seem they've even heard of <ol>. Pah.

"38.

Do design Web sites so that if users must be placed in a queue:

     * They can be continually updated, and
* The updates can include sounds (so that users can work on other things)."

I don't know about other people but I HATE application noises with a
passion. My first action on installing a new OS is to turn off al sounds.

"50.

Do use a "large" number of users (e.g., over 100) for performance tests,
because of:..."

All very well for them to say. Not all of us have that much money/time.

"55.   Do ensure that important system (Web site) sounds are louder for
older users."

Or let them decide exactly how loud they need them.

"56.  Do use TFT screens rather than CRT screens to elicit the fastest
possible reading performance from users (older users benefit even more
than younger users)."

So we're somehow meant to reach out over the web and replace people's
monitors? I wish someone would do that for mine.

Really... the more I read from these sort of usability sites the more
alienated I become by the crap they talk.
--
Lach
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Web: http://illuminosity.net/
E-mail: lach @ illuminosity.net
MSN: luminosity @ members.evolt.org
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