Re: [Usability] GIMP - CSDI and Toolbox - gnome HiG and window manager issue?

[Nadyne Mielke <nmielke acm org>]

At 08:11 AM 6/14/2004, Marek Peteraj wrote:
> On Mon, 2004-06-14 at 04:42, Steve Hall wrote:

[snip]

> > Too many exposed tools and options is one of the first indications
> > that the UI is broken.
> ?
> Same thing in Photoshop. Don't tell me as a professional user that
> fishing for options in menus is what makes your work more comfortable.

What works for one application may not work for another application, 
especially one with a very different user audience.  Just because it works 
in Photoshop [1] doesn't mean that it will work elsewhere.  It's 
disingenious, and potentially disasterous, to wave your hand at one 
application and say that they're doing it so it must be okay.

/nm

[1] I'm not entirely certain that we can say that it works in 
Photoshop.  Many people agree that the UI in Photoshop is broken.  If you 
haven't been using it since the dawn of time, the learning curve for 
Photoshop is quite steep.  Eveny expert users have difficulty navigating 
the UI for tools and options that they rarely use; novices are lucky if 
they can figure out how to open a file at all.  Adobe is, IMHO, in a bad 
position: either they're stuck with an interface with known systemic 
usability issues, or they fix the interface and risk ticking off their 
established customers.