
Rules From a User to Software Developers - showngo
http://brooksreview.net/2011/04/rules/
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alexk7
> Spell the name like a normal person. Twitter works because it makes logical
> sense, spelled as it sounds. Tumblr is hard to explain to a non-tech user —
> tell your Mom to go to Tumblr.com and see what she types in.

Funny to read this example since Twitter used to be named "Twttr"! I guess
they understood the problem soon enough!

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Gibbon
the sms short code "twttr" was already taken by Teen People or something like
that.

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dasil003
> _Things like Digg work because you can tell people: “it has a double g”_

Digg works because Snoop Dogg paved the way.

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sid6376
One which could be added to the list is: Tell me how to use the product.

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vehementi
Or: Don't design a product that needs instructions on how to use

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larrik
That's a high bar to set.

Kind of like saying "don't design a laptop uglier than a Macbook." Sure, you
can do it, but you may be optimizing the wrong thing (and/or at the wrong
time).

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vehementi
Maybe, but it's the bar for successful webapps nowadays. People are familiar
with a set of functionality; if you change them, make sure it's intuitive or
obvious.

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lysium
Oh, and while you're thinking about your UI, please please don't make me click
15 times for a simple task, e.g. required in some calender applications when
adding an appointment.

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rbonvall
Or worst, don't make me click 15 times for the most usual task. Optimize for
the most frequent use case.

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jerhewet
> If you are going to change a standard UI behavior, you better have good
> reason for it; looking cool doesn’t count.

This is why I don't use Chrome (browser or otherwise), FF 4.0, IE 9, or any of
the legions of applications that ignore the basics of functional UI design.

For the vast majority of us, the computer is a _tool_ , not a _toy_. I have
work to do, so trying to figure out where you've hidden key features of your
application is something I haven't the time or the patience for.

If it doesn't have a menu bar I won't waste time with it.

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benihana
Agreed. All change is bad. Period.

No good can ever come out of change. If things aren't the way I recognize them
and like them, then they are obviously inferior because as we all know,
functional UI design never changes. The principles that we had when Windows XP
came out should still be in use because that's what I'm familiar with.

And I completely agree with you about using the a computer as a tool not a
toy. If I can't immediately change the tool in a way that is familiar to me,
it is worthless to me. For instance, the first thing I do when I get a hammer
is take it apart and see what kind of different colors I can make the handle.
That's how I know it's a good and usable tool. And I've found that the most
customizable tools are usually the most usable tools. If I can't choose the
font face used on my screwdrivers, I don't even bother.

I think we got two different things out of the article. It seems like you got
the impression that it was saying that changing things shouldn't happen. I got
the point that change for the sake of change is stupid. But if you identify
behaviors that people do and don't do, and you change your product accordingly
(like Chrome has done) then it's probably a good case for change.

