

How To Read Your Users’ Minds With Better Menu Options - timrosenblatt
http://www.cloudspace.com/blog/2011/02/22/how-to-read-your-users-minds-with-better-menu-options/

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BoppreH
It works well for 99% of the time, but when it doesn't, this design decisions
make the experience frustrating. I'm-going-to-write-a-blog-post-and-boycott-
this-thing frustrating.

And if the description is not clear (as in the Rdio example), it'll surprise
the user. And surprise is not good. Let's say you are mindlessly managing your
collection, doing some syncs along the way. When you finish, you notice that
there are musics in the collection that you didn't put there. Even if that was
exactly what you wanted, you don't know how you did it and now the software is
not predictable anymore. You'll flinch before using it again. I know I would.

Multi-action options are a bless when aligned with your flow, but if not used
carefully they'll bring down the whole user experience.

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timrosenblatt
Totally. That's the point of a good product person -- they need to understand
who is using the product, and what the point of the whole thing is. If it's
something that they know users will understand, then it can be done in the
subtle way that Rdio has. If they get feedback from users that are confused,
they can change the product to make the process make more sense.

Surprise isn't always bad. I bet a lot of people are surprised the first time
they turn an iPad sideways and it rotates. That doesn't make it bad. A good
product person surprises users with good things.

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amalcon
I think engineers know about use-case analysis. Don't bother to present the
user with options for which there is no use-case. This isn't some sort of
voodoo that only "product people" understand, it's software engineering 101.

