[Cialug] Flash Porn (SFW)

[Matthew Nuzum]

It could be that this is a misapplication of a valid UI principle. You know
the old saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...

There is a recognized psychological principle that the more options a
person is given the harder it is for them to make a decision. Therefore
there is a tension UI designers have to deal with, where they want to make
it easier to make a decision by giving fewer options, but give enough
options that people can actually make the right decision.

I am not a fan of UI embellishment for the sake of embellishment. I
frequently see designers overuse embellishment in the way you describe in
order to simplify the interface, while using these effects to keep the
complicated stuff there, within reach.

Once in a while it works out well. Often it doesn't.


On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 2:07 PM, Don Ellis <don.ellis at gmail.com> wrote:

> I will say that what you're seeing is the same old lack of understanding of
> UI in general that we've seen as long as there have been [cheap] printed
> books.
>
> On some sites, you can click on a line to expand it, then click on another
> and it also expands, placing the expanded details much closer than if
> separated by all the other lines in between.
>
> Maybe we don't notice when the job is done well? It's only a problem if
> it's done poorly. Hence the aphorism "Easy is hard". Doing it right
> requires introspection, understanding, thought, and sometimes hard work. Of
> course, is the artist is especially talented, she doesn't realize she's
> actually doing something others find difficult.
>
> --Don
>
> "Common sense is easy if you already know the answer"
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 9:50 AM, Todd Walton <tdwalton at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > You know how there's the term "data porn", which means a display of data
> > for consumption that gives the feeling, but not the reality, of knowledge
> > or understanding?  There should be a similar term for when people use
> > flashy movy GUI elements that way.  I don't need crap to move around on
> the
> > screen when I hover over it, or expand or flash stupidly.  Argh.
> >
> > I use one application that's written with HTML5 or Ajax or something,
> that
> > shows fat lines for a list of things, and if you click into one of the
> > lines it expands slightly with additional information, and then once it
> > expands you can click again and open a new page of information about it.
> > It just has the effect of hiding information you want to know until you
> > click on each line.  And I can't visually compare the details of each
> line
> > because if I look at one line, note the number in space X, and then click
> > on another one it shifts everything around and breaks my gaze so that I
> > can't line up columns in my mind.  Argh!
> >
> > It's just flash for flash's sake.  All lightning, no thunder.  It's
> > annoying.
> >
> > --
> > Todd
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-- 
Matthew Nuzum
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