Rules From a User to Software Developers | Hacker News Reader

Rules From a User to Software Developers

brooksreview.net

34 pointsshowngo15 comments

> Spell the name like a normal person. Twitter works because it makes logical sense, spelled as it sounds. Tumblr is hard to explain to a non-tech user — tell your Mom to go to Tumblr.com and see what she types in.

Funny to read this example since Twitter used to be named "Twttr"! I guess they understood the problem soon enough!

the sms short code "twttr" was already taken by Teen People or something like that.

> Things like Digg work because you can tell people: “it has a double g”

Digg works because Snoop Dogg paved the way.

One which could be added to the list is: Tell me how to use the product.

Or: Don't design a product that needs instructions on how to use

That's a high bar to set.

Kind of like saying "don't design a laptop uglier than a Macbook." Sure, you can do it, but you may be optimizing the wrong thing (and/or at the wrong time).

Maybe, but it's the bar for successful webapps nowadays. People are familiar with a set of functionality; if you change them, make sure it's intuitive or obvious.

Or: Tell me WHY to use the product. This is a much more common failing, IMO.

Oh, and while you're thinking about your UI, please please don't make me click 15 times for a simple task, e.g. required in some calender applications when adding an appointment.

Or worst, don't make me click 15 times for the most usual task. Optimize for the most frequent use case.

> If you are going to change a standard UI behavior, you better have good reason for it; looking cool doesn’t count.

This is why I don't use Chrome (browser or otherwise), FF 4.0, IE 9, or any of the legions of applications that ignore the basics of functional UI design.

For the vast majority of us, the computer is a tool, not a toy. I have work to do, so trying to figure out where you've hidden key features of your application is something I haven't the time or the patience for.

If it doesn't have a menu bar I won't waste time with it.

How often do you need something from the menu bar on a web browser? Very rarely is probably the answer. I think Chrome understood this, and optimized their interface around the features most commonly used. Screen real estate is as valuable as private islands, there's no reason to waste an inch at the top of the screen, when you can condense it to half an inch, and get the same functionality.

Chrome has a single icon (wrench, far right) to replace the entire menu system. The first time I used Chrome I was thrown by the lack of a menu bar, but only for the five seconds or so that it took me to find that button.

After getting used to it (another five seconds) I now prefer it to the standard system of using >1cm of space for something I rarely use in a web browser.

Agreed. All change is bad. Period.

No good can ever come out of change. If things aren't the way I recognize them and like them, then they are obviously inferior because as we all know, functional UI design never changes. The principles that we had when Windows XP came out should still be in use because that's what I'm familiar with.

And I completely agree with you about using the a computer as a tool not a toy. If I can't immediately change the tool in a way that is familiar to me, it is worthless to me. For instance, the first thing I do when I get a hammer is take it apart and see what kind of different colors I can make the handle. That's how I know it's a good and usable tool. And I've found that the most customizable tools are usually the most usable tools. If I can't choose the font face used on my screwdrivers, I don't even bother.

I think we got two different things out of the article. It seems like you got the impression that it was saying that changing things shouldn't happen. I got the point that change for the sake of change is stupid. But if you identify behaviors that people do and don't do, and you change your product accordingly (like Chrome has done) then it's probably a good case for change.

At least with Firefox 4 if you hit alt and release it brings up the menu bar, though that may not be enough to make you happy (understandably so, it irks me when the menu is removed from an app that used to have it).

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