[net.cog-eng] The what and how of "user friendly".

hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (04/05/85)

Here's a new (?  I haven't seen it here, anyway) topic for discussion  that
I'd like to get some information on (I've got a short paper to write):

Just what does it take to make a system "user friendly".  Not so  much  the
nitty-gritty  details,  like  which  item should be highlighted on a pop-up
menu,  but  overall  design  considerations.   How  do  you  make  it  non-
intimidating  to  a novice user yet non-frustrating to an expert?  What can
be done at specified levels of technology (at the extremes, glass ttys  vs.
MacIntosh type displays)?  What about documentation?

My apologies if  this  is  too  elementary  a  topic  for  this  group,  or
inappropriate  for  some  other  reason.  Replies  direct  to  me  will  be
summarized to the net.

Thanks.
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The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
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sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) (04/06/85)

In this light, I am also wondering about the difference between "easy to
learn" and "easy to use" interfaces. An example of something that is
easy to use but is difficult to learn is EMACS (so many commands, and
funny control and meta characters).
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  Marty Sasaki				net:   sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
  Havard University Science Center	phone: 617-495-1270
  One Oxford Street
  Cambridge, MA 02138