No expensive retraining is "saved" as the users wind up needing to learn new things anyway. People wind up needing to learn the differences between the imperfect emulation of familiar interfaces along with new features that are incompatible with the old ones. Interesting argument against backwards compatibility. Hilarious comment on how UI design has gone wrong if it requires bright colors and big letters. It is interesting that he suggests that an interface that requires the user to remember that a feature exists renders that feature invisible. This is due to the continuous physical feedback. Because you have to actively hold it down, it is less error prone. His analogy of the missed details in UI design being similar to a violinist playing the occasional random wrong note is entertaining, accurate and quite useful. Perhaps this explains the tendency of users to frustrate "techs" by not reading the screen. An interesting comment on the fact that when someone is having trouble on a computer, that warning messages may go unnoticed. Once mastered, they can then explore more complex commands at their leisure. There should be a small core set of commands that a beginner can use. ![]() But how do you balance this against the fact that there is not a good "one size fits all" approach? Later in the book he suggests that a humane interface that is well designed should work for both the naive and the expert. ![]() due to shifting attention away from the task to the method of doing the task. Later in the chapter he suggests that having more than one way to do things is more detrimental than one would expect. ![]() He has a notable example on page 11 regarding knowledge that you know but are not conscious of. In the beginning of the book he explains that in order to design humane interfaces, it is necessary to be very keenly aware of what the human mind can and can't do in most cases. We must master the ergonomics of the mind if we want to design interfaces that work well. Users should set the pace of interaction.Ĥ. A computer shall not waste your time or require you to do more work than is necessary.ģ. A computer should never allow a user's data to come to harm by action or inaction. Some examples of Raskin's thoughts on the basic requirements for a humane interface:ġ. Here is a small sampling from notes I kept on my BlackBerry while reading this book on the bus. This study led him to quite a few interesting conclusions. His general belief, one I've always shared, is that computers don't have to be hard to use in order to serve the needs of users (humanity) well. Raskin (who died in 2005) put a lot of thought into the study of cognitive engineering or "cognetics" and how this applies to creating humane software. It's a great exploration of what is possible in user interface design. The Humane Interface delivers a way for computers, information appliances, and other technology-driven products to continue to advance in power and expand their range of applicability, while becoming free of the hassles and obscurities that plague present products. Raskin observes that our honeymoon with digital technology is We are tired of having to learn huge, arcane programs to do even the simplest of tasks we have had our fill of crashing computers and we are fatigued by the continual pressure to upgrade. ![]() He also demonstrates how design ideas must be built on a scientific basis, presenting just enough cognitive psychology to link the interface of the future to the experimental evidence and to show why that interface will work. With this book, Raskin proves again both his farsightedness and his practicality. The Apple Macintosh helped to introduce a previous revolution in computer interface design, drawing on the best available technology to establish many of the interface techniques and methods now universal in the computer industry. He explains how to effect desperately needed changes, offering a wealth of innovative and specific interface ideas for software designers, developers, and product managers. Raskin, however, demonstrates that many current interface paradigms are dead ends, and that to make computers significantly easier to use requires new approaches. Other books may show how to use today's widgets and interface ideas effectively. This unique guide to interactive system design reflects the experience and vision of Jef Raskin, the creator of the Apple Macintosh project.
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