[thelist] User perception

[Joshua Olson]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joel D Canfield
> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 9:15 AM
> 
> > Now, is this always so? Is it impossible to make it so that 
> everyone 
> > follows and read instructions? The bulk of the users seem to get 
> > everything just fine, but there are exceptions.
> 
> Users don't read instructions, and nothing I've ever seen 
> will make them. If the form requires any kind of training 
> whatsoever, no matter how simple, consider how you can 
> eliminate that need. 

Joel,

I agree 100% and would like to add an observation.  I find that you can
count on users missing the directions more often the farther the directions
are away from the item to which they refer.  

In the example of a form, this would imply that placing the directions
directly above or below the field is much more effective than placing them
next to, and especially above or below, the form.  Instructions in the form
of a sentence fragment, however weird this seems, tend to get read more
often as well.

Likewise, I find that the word "required" near the field is better than an *
or BOLD indicating "required" for new users.  Experienced users expect a *
or BOLD to indicate "required", on the other hand.

CAVEAT: These are not scientific observations, but rather as observed from
the trenches.

<><><><><><><><><><>
Joshua Olson
Web Application Engineer
WAE Tech Inc.
http://www.waetech.com/service_areas/
706.210.0168