Re: User interface suggestions

[Calum Benson <calum benson sun com>]

Adrian wrote:

> I'd like to give some suggestions for gnome user interface. They're
> available at:
> 
>   http://www.dit.upm.es/~aferrer/open/gnome/suggestions-july2000/
> 
> My idea isn't to improve an specefic program, but to propose a general
> idea in the design of the interface. For example, the use of icons as
> much as possible, the clearty, ...

Looking at your design for the "logout" box, I'd suggest if your three
new icons should go anywhere, they should be on command buttons at the
bottom of the dialog-- not used as labels for radio buttons, which
(IMHO) adds unnecessary visual clutter.  (It's also an idea that
probably couldn't be generalised to other radio buttons in other
dialogs, so you'd potentially be introducing inconsistencies in the look
and feel across different GNOME apps.)

Having "yes" and "no" buttons on message boxes is generally a bad idea
anyway, especially one as complex as this.  It would be better to have
command buttons that match the possible actions (e.g. Logout, Shutdown,
Restart, in this case).  That way the user is less likely to press the
wrong button by mistake if they mis-read or misunderstood the question.

So, since GNOME command buttons allow an icon anyway, your three icons
could then go on three buttons along the bottom of the dialog-- which
also gives fussy users like me the opportunity to switch off the icons
using the control center, and leave only the text  :o)

Cheeri,
Calum.

-- 
CALUM BENSON, User Interface Designer  Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson ireland sun com    Desktop Engineering Group
http://www.sun.ie                      +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems