Widget Explorer usability problems

[SuseUX at googlemail.com]

On Jan 12, 2010 12:45pm, Sebastian Kügler <sebas at kde.org> wrote:
> On Tuesday 12 January 2010 13:17:04 Sean wrote:

> > Here is the idea for a new category UI design

> > http://imagebin.ca/view/5yNh2p3.html



> The categories really don't say anything about the purpose of an applet.  
> Say I'm

> looking for a tool to take notes, where do I find this?




That's what the search filter is for. 'No' filters out "notes" which is  
much quicker than finding the category filter.

> It would be good to base such categorization on the use cases AnnieC  
> defined. this

> way it looks rather randomly, "because it fits horizontally". For a  
> first-time user,

> the categories are even completely useless (and that's where we need  
> discoverability

> the most, the second+-time users are more likely to use the search field.



Putting a ton of categories in a long line which scrolls is just a bad  
idea, 16 is just silly. The user knows words like "Favourites"  
and "Recently Used" since we're already using these metaphors in the  
Kickoff menu.
Recently Added are widgets that the user has added locally, from the  
intetnet or from Google Gadgets.


> > Simple, to the point and users know these from the Kicoff menu.  
> Recommended

> > could be widgets that are randomly recommended for use by us. Maybe  
> track

> > the users most used and randomly pick from it? It's mainly just a fill  
> in

> > for now really.

> >

> > Here is a idea for a way to remove widgets and more than one of the same

> > kind http://imagebin.ca/view/UaQTcxW.html



> You introduce a third-level UI here, with really tiny buttons. Try to hit  
> those with

> a crappy netbook touchpad (like mine has one), and you'll end up  
> frustrated quickly.



> Also, the metaphore of the button is completely unclear to me (what does  
> it do? What

> happens when I click on the smaller triangle? The larger one? How do you  
> fit a large

> enough font (>= smallestReadableFont) in there.



> The UI there is really far from clear, and way worse than the in-context  
> [x] on the

> applet handle.

The button can be wide, it's no different to the close widget button on the  
right hand side or is that another usability issues you've just highlighted?

The arrow is like a switch on a wall or a light button. Click it switches  
the widget off like you would a light switch or push a button and the green  
arrow disappears along with the widget running.

Honestly. I get the impression that your're treating users like retards but  
at the same time put a ton of category options in front of them.
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