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> ..I find myself zooming in and out all the fucking time because everyone uses different font sizes. This is much more convenient when you stand in front of a

by achow 4y ago

> ..I find myself zooming in and out all the fucking time because everyone uses different font sizes. This is much more convenient when you stand in front of a physical whiteboard. Interesting point. Physical whiteboard most often has uniform (and readable) font size because of physiology of humans and default stance when writing on a vertical surface. Digital whiteboard product team should reflect on that and build feature which mimics that.

Waterluvian 4y ago
I think it’s as simple as: a whiteboard has a frame of reference. An infinite canvas doesn’t.
- achow 4y ago
  The question is if you are in front of 2 miles wide by 100 ft high whiteboard, would your letter size differ?
  - Waterluvian 4y ago
    In that case, yes, arm length defines text size. But if we all default to 12pt font in a canvas then that’s essentially constrained the same way. So is the issue that everyone is picking a different font? It’s not even about frame of reference then, maybe. It’s just about a UI guiding behaviour. Maybe label fonts “title” “paragraph” “heading 1” etc. like many apps already seem to do.
the_other 4y ago
> Physical whiteboard most often has uniform (and readable) font size because of physiology of humans and default stance when writing on a vertical surface. Only if the cohort have roughly similar vision. My vision is roughly one third of the “good” average, so whiteboards have been inaccessible to me my entire life. I used a telescope to read them in school and uni, always had to sit at the fronf… I could do the same at work, but I’d suffer the same “restricted context” problems, at speed. Digital whiteboards are MUCH better for me. The pan & zoom is awkward, but it’s better than not being able to participate.
- oblio 4y ago
  Isn't this solved by glasses, most of the time?
  - chrchr 4y ago
    Not all vision problems can be corrected by glasses.
mc32 4y ago
You’re right often they do. But we also have people put stickies on the whiteboards and they’re hard to read. It’s not the fault of the whiteboard —-it’s the author who needs to keep this in mind.

by achow 4y ago

Waterluvian 4y ago

I think it’s as simple as: a whiteboard has a frame of reference. An infinite canvas doesn’t.

achow 4y ago
The question is if you are in front of 2 miles wide by 100 ft high whiteboard, would your letter size differ?
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  In that case, yes, arm length defines text size. But if we all default to 12pt font in a canvas then that’s essentially constrained the same way. So is the issue that everyone is picking a different font? It’s not even about frame of reference then, maybe. It’s just about a UI guiding behaviour. Maybe label fonts “title” “paragraph” “heading 1” etc. like many apps already seem to do.

the_other 4y ago

> Physical whiteboard most often has uniform (and readable) font size because of physiology of humans and default stance when writing on a vertical surface. Only if the cohort have roughly similar vision. My vision is roughly one third of the “good” average, so whiteboards have been inaccessible to me my entire life. I used a telescope to read them in school and uni, always had to sit at the fronf… I could do the same at work, but I’d suffer the same “restricted context” problems, at speed. Digital whiteboards are MUCH better for me. The pan & zoom is awkward, but it’s better than not being able to participate.

oblio 4y ago
Isn't this solved by glasses, most of the time?
- chrchr 4y ago
  Not all vision problems can be corrected by glasses.

mc32 4y ago

You’re right often they do. But we also have people put stickies on the whiteboards and they’re hard to read. It’s not the fault of the whiteboard —-it’s the author who needs to keep this in mind.