[thelist] Dropdowns - good or bad?

[martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com]

Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

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Ari

Sounds like you have a *good* boss - one who cares about users. Many
bosses are really clueless, and order designers to create abominations
like http://www.balthaser.com/

To be honest, I would suggest that Jakob's recommendations are a pretty good
default.

Follow what he suggests (unless you have a case-by-case justification)
and you'll get a usable site. Usable sites have a much more positive ROI
than unusable ones, and that's the aim of the game for most of us. Given
the choice between 'pretty' and 'usable' and I'll take 'usable' every single
time (exception: if you're running a personal or pure art-based site).

If you are producing justifications to ignore him, please bear in mind
that his work is not really based on how he feels about usability issues,
it's largely based on robust research.

Cheers
Martin

<tip type="Basic business sense for web developers">
Design with better Return on Investment = Better paid (and more) work for us.

Hurrah.
</tip>

<tip type="reading material for web design business sense">
     <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0120958104/martin043">
          Cost Justifying Usability
     </a>
</tip>



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Subject:  [thelist] Dropdowns - good or bad?



My boss just forwarded me a link to here:
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001112.html
It's an article by Jacob Neilsen. I don't really have an opinion of him,
but from what I *have* read, it's contrary to my own feelings.

Now, he strikes it again.

Seems my boss is into Nielsen. Are there any other links of other articles
that are opposite this one


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