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Re: UI stuff (was Re: How to display format=flowed?)



On 2005-10-12 | 14:55:33, Derek Martin wrote:
I understand the point you're making, but I strongly disagree with the
way you're making it.  Allowing the programmers to completely design
the UI without considering the needs of the users is a great way to
make a program that sucks, unless the programmers happen to be UI
geniuses.  Most aren't.

I disagree, most important for good UIs is, that whoever designs them must understand what they are used for AND has a basic understanding of the technical issues involved. Microsoft for example has a very good understanding of what their UIs are used for but fails to consider the technical implications. They force their programmers to produce the illogical and bloating code they are best known for.

The correct way to build good UI is to use good UI design principles
which are taught in any CS program, and to take the way users work,
and want to work, into consideration when doing so.

UI-design is based on guidelines, they are not laws of nature, not even laws, but only guidelines. I have seen user interfaces that try too hard to fit everything into these guidelines and become worse than ones that don't follow these guidelines at all.

Tom

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