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Perhaps you're failing to view things from the perspective of the average user? I see the MacOS Finder and see unlabelled icons. My elderly folks are terrible
by arkades 10y ago
Perhaps you're failing to view things from the perspective of the average user?
I see the MacOS Finder and see unlabelled icons. My elderly folks are terrible at remembering what various icons do, and what error messages are for, etc. I've trained them to pause and read the words on the toolbar, read the words on the window, etc. as they're generally self-explanatory.
So the finder that is more convoluted for a more proficient user, is the one that my folks can actually more reasonably navigate.
Okay, your criticism is on point: the Explorer Options button has a redundant click. To me, that would matter if I ever used anything other than keyboard navigation. To my mother, father, and sister, "yay! It's f'n labeled!"
My nieces don't give a damn either way, because they're too young to care about one unnecessary click, and they don't forget what the icons mean.
Your point isn't wrong, it's just not that clear-cut an issue when dealing with different people with different levels of proficiency and needs.
But the fact that we're down to "labels vs. reasonably intuitive icons, plus or minus a redundant click" suggests we're well into the weeds of trivialities.
- adekok 10y ago> I've trained them to pause and read the words on the toolbar, read the words on the window, etc. as they're generally self-explanatory. You're a miracle worker. :) Failure to read what's on the screen is one of the biggest reasons why "non computer" people don't get things done with computers.
- saghm 10y agoSometimes not just "non computer people". The number of times as a computer science TA (for a non-intro class) I had to read people their compiler error messages is staggering.
- fnordsensei 10y agoRight click the tool bar in Finder and choose "Icons and text" from the drop down. One can discuss what should be default.
- jaequery 10y agoI see both sides of the arguments but I'm a power user and even I rarely need access to those icons. Let alone my grandma. Surely, I can't be the minority here. If you do not need it, I think it should be hidden by default as Macs have done it.
- Razengan 10y agoRedundant labeling is kludge, not a hallmark of an easily accessible UI. If an element in your interface requires multiple labels to make itself clearer, then you did not design it well in the first place. In any case, the longer label could have been implemented as a simple mouse-hover tooltip, instead of an extra button alongside the primary button that expands to a menu with a single item (with its own icon too!) I'm not just comparing it to macOS; the Windows UI is heavily flawed not only in terms of efficiency in usage of system resources, it is inconsistent with itself, and baffling no matter which school of design you adhere to. The option button was just one of the immediate examples I could point out in a quick reply. There is still a lot to pick at in that screenshot without comparing it to any other OS. ---- As an aside, I don't think that "average" or new users are a good gauge of how well-designed a system is; people can learn and put up with horribly unintuitive interfaces out of necessity when they don't have any better alternatives. Just look at computers and phones and other devices and systems of only 20 years ago. Many will make you go "how the hell did we live through that?!"