Re: Documenting a ridiculous user-interface?

Subject: Re: Documenting a ridiculous user-interface?
From: Karen Molloy <Karen_Molloy -at- I2 -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 09:12:51 -0400

Geoff Hart responded to Kathryn Northcuts post on data-entry software in which
users ...
> >... have to have NumLock on to use the keypad
>>to enter numbers into the fields, BUT with NumLock on, the
>>keyboard shortcuts for access to the menus are disabled (i.e.,
>>the ALT key doesn't work).
>...
> I really can't think of any valid reason for requiring your audience
>to go through such contortions simply to enter data; ...
>
>Speaking as a user, this would annoy me even more than my current pet peeve,
> being forced to double-click in a cell in Excel before I can edit what's in
it.
>...
>If you really can't sit down with the appropriate people and
>convince them just how awkward this interface is, then there's
>not a helluva lot you can do about the situation.

This is where usability testing comes in handy -- you can even do it informally
in your office with coworkers (or with anyone who nearly matches the user
profile of the target users of the application). This way you can get some hard
evidence to back your claims.


Karen Molloy
i2 Technologies
karen_molloy -at- i2 -dot- com

From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=




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