Comments on: Direct Manipulation http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/ Development of Panoramio, a mash-up of Google Maps and geopositioned photos Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:47:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=9.9.9 by: Eduardo Manchón http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-113 Fri, 25 Nov 2005 09:10:38 +0000 http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-113 Thanks for your comment Johan. As Cuenca suggested in the case of Panoramio is necessary to add a text like “drag the bubble to change the position of the picture”. Anyway adding this text doesn't change the direct manipulation interaction and it would be much easier than the three steps (move, new location, save) from a classical web interaction. Thanks for your comment Johan. As Cuenca suggested in the case of Panoramio is necessary to add a text like “drag the bubble to change the position of the picture”. Anyway adding this text doesn’t change the direct manipulation interaction and it would be much easier than the three steps (move, new location, save) from a classical web interaction.

]]> by: Joaquín Cuenca Abela http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-112 Mon, 21 Nov 2005 23:03:22 +0000 http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-112 I managed to completely misunderstand Eduardo in a private conversation. Eduardo only stated that is better to have interfaces that do not need any explanation to interfaces that need one, and I obviously agree. He did not say that it is always evil to have an explanation, as I put above. For people interested in direct manipulation I recommend reading the papers of Michel Beaudouin-Lafon, my ex-professor of User Interfaces in the university. Its work on CPN-2000 is outstanding, and it was a real eye opener. I managed to completely misunderstand Eduardo in a private conversation.

Eduardo only stated that is better to have interfaces that do not need any explanation to interfaces that need one, and I obviously agree. He did not say that it is always evil to have an explanation, as I put above.

For people interested in direct manipulation I recommend reading the papers of Michel Beaudouin-Lafon, my ex-professor of User Interfaces in the university. Its work on CPN-2000 is outstanding, and it was a real eye opener.

]]> by: Joaquín Cuenca Abela http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-111 Sun, 20 Nov 2005 00:17:37 +0000 http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-111 Hi, Yes, there is usually a problem of discoverability on direct manipulation interfaces. A classical example is drag&drop. The blob on our mini map is sadly such another example. Eduardo thinks that an interface that needs an explanation is a bad interface. I beg to differ. To me, an interface needs explanation when it is novel, not when it is bad. And it is not a black or white problem. The amount of explanation the user needs to understand an interface is the really important factor. In the "blob in the mini map" case, a simple "drag the marker to change the position of the picture" should be enough. Hi,

Yes, there is usually a problem of discoverability on direct manipulation interfaces.

A classical example is drag&drop. The blob on our mini map is sadly such another example.

Eduardo thinks that an interface that needs an explanation is a bad interface. I beg to differ. To me, an interface needs explanation when it is novel, not when it is bad. And it is not a black or white problem. The amount of explanation the user needs to understand an interface is the really important factor.

In the “blob in the mini map” case, a simple “drag the marker to change the position of the picture” should be enough.

]]> by: Johan Sundström http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-110 Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:39:51 +0000 http://www.panoramio.com/blog/direct-manipulation/#comment-110 Usable design is also about visually (and indeed texturally, audiably et cetera, as applies) communicating how each interaction device is used; in which manner you interact with it. I'm not sure how a blob on a map would tell you it's draggable, but it ought to try, or users are going to remain oblivious of a feature they would need to know about, which would be more aparrent in a clunky interface with a "click here to reposition your photo" wizard style dialog. Usable design is also about visually (and indeed texturally, audiably et cetera, as applies) communicating how each interaction device is used; in which manner you interact with it. I’m not sure how a blob on a map would tell you it’s draggable, but it ought to try, or users are going to remain oblivious of a feature they would need to know about, which would be more aparrent in a clunky interface with a “click here to reposition your photo” wizard style dialog.

]]>