Cranky Old Men Cranking Away

I'm sure you've all seen this:
http://jnd.org/dn.mss/gestural_interfaces_a_step_backwards_in_usability_1.html.
Of course there are good points, but someone has to help split the
difference in the UI problems they want to fix, because just like
every time Nielson has problems, I have no problems.

Of course they pick on real issues, such as the discoverability of
long-presses and swipes, but they don't mention that there is usually
more than one way to do the things that those gestures are meant to do
(in a well designed app). There should be. That's a real solution, but
Nielson usually brings up problems, not solutions.

There are useful comments in the document. The comments on the
Android/Blackberry back button and menu buttons are useful. All in
all, it's a useful document to read, but as usual, not a lot of the
objections resonate with me, a power user. That's really the problem,
as I see it - helping the user grow into more powerful interactions
with the interface, not solving these problems in a way that
hamstrings more fluid, although less discoverable, interactions.

Posted via email from Tony Hillerson's Posterous