🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <mwalker-280792113247@mwalker1.npd.provo.novell.com.> (comp.sys.mac.apps), mwalker@novell.com (Mel Walker) writes:
>In article <D88-JWA.92Jul28141636@dront.nada.kth.se>,

>Look-n-feel is crap

This is an open question to all of the people who agree with the above
statement:  How many of you have ever tried to design a new user interface
or a new user interface element?

I do a lot of work designing user interfaces.  There is a fairly long
period of time involved, where I make models (usually in something
like supercard, but other things also).  I then test these models
against people.  Then I try and fix them.  This is after applying
everything that I already know about user interface design.  

In Tog's book, he describes the processes that he went through just
to define a new interface element (a one or more type of radio button).
He describes his failures in that process.

In both cases, an engineer is spending TIME (months in my case, weeks
in Tog's) designing (and testing, and failing, and redesinging, and
repeat) the user interface.

To do this costs money.  Once the product is released, you can shave
months from the development time of a competing product by starting 
with the interface that was released.  The clone maker doesn't need
to hire someone like me to design an interface for them -- they can
just copy an existing one, right?

The user interface design process involves creativity and engineering.
As can be seen by many products that are available for the Mac market
(verticle's & DOS ports come to mind, but there are others), a good
user interface doesn't just happen.  

But hey, it is not skin off of my nose.  If people don't want to pay
for new / good user interfaces, if I can't find a job as a user interface 
designer, I can still find work as a software engineer.  I can use a cryptic 
command line interface... can your mother?  

After all, the look and feel of an application, the several months
of work that the UI design team does isn't worthy of protection (e.g.
they don't need to be paid for it).  We don't really need friendly
user interfaces.  And training classes are much more cost effective.
(yes, there is sarcasm in these parts)

+C


-------------------------------------------------------------
Cory Kempf                    EnigamI, Inc.
cory@enigami.mv.com           ...!decvax!enigami!cory
Annon:	wi.5036@wizvax.methuen.ma.us

"F' cryin' out loud, it's *your* life; shouldn't you at least examine 
your lifestyle values to see if they are really what *you* want."
										--Keith Lim