Re: [Usability] Cross-Desktop UI Pattern Library

[Allan Caeg <allancaeg ubuntu com>]

We can sense that a huge part of the issue here is organizational. We'll have to invent ways to create a UI Pattern Library, make it usable enough for devs to refer to them, and sustain its development so it's always relevant.

Inputs please

On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:27 PM, Allan Caeg <allancaeg ubuntu com> wrote:

On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:02 PM, Calum Benson <calum benson oracle com> wrote:

FWIW, I'd say a good pattern library requires best practice for certain tasks, rather than certain widgets.  In most cases, the 'best practice for a widget' should be enshrined as the default behaviour of that widget. (And we need to be proactive at filing bugs when it isn't.)

Well, best practices for tasks are definitely needed, and considering them should come before looking at best practices for widgets. Best practices for tasks determine what widgets to use (plus more) and best practices for widgets determine how widgets look like and behave (which is communicated by the UI Pattern Library).

Of course there will be situations where using something other than the defaults is necessary, and we do need to document the more common of those situations too -- but again, in more of a "when the user needs to do that, use the widget like this" sort of way, rather than the way the HIG currently does it ("here's the XYZ widget, and here's ten different ways you can use it").

Definitely. It would be nice to document the times when it makes sense to deviate from the UI Pattern Library. It will mean that it's incomplete or the current UI Pattern or "best practice" isn't the real best practice anymore. Thus, we must act on the Library's shortcoming

--
Regards,
Allan

http://www.google.com/profiles/allancaeg#about

+63 918 948 2520

-- 
Regards,
Allan
http://www.google.com/profiles/allancaeg#about
+63 918 948 2520