3 ms·

The ribbon (particularly in Microsoft Office) solves the problem that users don't know what they want, because it lays out all the options in front of them in a

The ribbon (particularly in Microsoft Office) solves the problem that users don't know what they want, because it lays out all the options in front of them in a clearly organized hierarchy, with hover previews and textual labels for every command except for extremely well-known commands (like Bold/Italic). This is very different from chat interfaces, which are opaque black boxes and in order to get anything out of them users have to express their wish in words, with nothing to start from.

civilized 4y ago
I'll just add here that it doesn't have to be only one or the other. The ribbon might be good for discovering features, but it's inefficient for using those features once discovered. If the user already knows what the thing they want is called, the fastest way to find it is a search bar that searches the labyrinth of menus and ribbons when you type into it. Google and Mac apps usually have this.
- Too 4y ago
  Press Alt. It will highlight the key-binding to press to reach any item on the ribbon.
nanidin 4y ago
I think Apple’s approach to menus is preferable - one can search and it will highlight places in the menu where the term appears. Usually I know what I want to do, I just don’t know where it’s located in the menu. For MS products I end up Googling how to do something and invariably get instructions for a slightly different version with a menu layout that is also slightly different and work it out from there.
- frosted-flakes 4y ago
  MS Office has the same search behaviour, and the ribbon layout has not changed since it was first implemented in Office 2007.
  - nanidin 4y ago
    MS Office search doesn't show me where in the menu the item I searched for is located - if I rely on the search, I haven't learned where the thing is in the menu.
- wayeq 4y ago
  > For MS products I end up Googling how to do something and invariably get instructions for a slightly different version with a menu layout that is also slightly different and work it out from there. Sounds like something ChatGPT could help with
hulitu 4y ago
> it lays out all the options in front of them in a clearly organized hierarchy I don't know for who is this hierarchy clearly organized, but for me it is not. Yesterday i spent 10 minutes searching on how to recall a mail in outlook. Searching for "headers and footers" is the same.

civilized 4y ago

I'll just add here that it doesn't have to be only one or the other. The ribbon might be good for discovering features, but it's inefficient for using those features once discovered. If the user already knows what the thing they want is called, the fastest way to find it is a search bar that searches the labyrinth of menus and ribbons when you type into it. Google and Mac apps usually have this.

Too 4y ago
Press Alt. It will highlight the key-binding to press to reach any item on the ribbon.

nanidin 4y ago

I think Apple’s approach to menus is preferable - one can search and it will highlight places in the menu where the term appears. Usually I know what I want to do, I just don’t know where it’s located in the menu. For MS products I end up Googling how to do something and invariably get instructions for a slightly different version with a menu layout that is also slightly different and work it out from there.

frosted-flakes 4y ago
MS Office has the same search behaviour, and the ribbon layout has not changed since it was first implemented in Office 2007.
- nanidin 4y ago
  MS Office search doesn't show me where in the menu the item I searched for is located - if I rely on the search, I haven't learned where the thing is in the menu.
wayeq 4y ago
> For MS products I end up Googling how to do something and invariably get instructions for a slightly different version with a menu layout that is also slightly different and work it out from there. Sounds like something ChatGPT could help with

hulitu 4y ago

> it lays out all the options in front of them in a clearly organized hierarchy I don't know for who is this hierarchy clearly organized, but for me it is not. Yesterday i spent 10 minutes searching on how to recall a mail in outlook. Searching for "headers and footers" is the same.