Xref: utzoo comp.cog-eng:639 comp.software-eng:821
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!panda!teddy!svb
From: svb@teddy.UUCP (Stephen V. Boyle)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: OPEN LOOK (Long)
Summary: Some of the "features" are *really* features
Keywords: OPEN LOOK, interface engineering
Message-ID: <4991@teddy.UUCP>
Date: 16 Sep 88 19:03:28 GMT
References: <7099@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: svb@teddy.UUCP (Stephen V. Boyle)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 74

In article <7099@well.UUCP> shf@well.UUCP (Stuart H. Ferguson) writes:
>
>(OPEN LOOK) ... is a *specification* for the "look and feel" of graphical user
>interfaces which fully details the appearance and function of the
>elements of the interface.  
>

Personally, I'm rather happy that Sun has made an effort to produce a style
guide. I haven't used a lot of applications on a Sun workstation, but I've used
a few, and I find the differences in "look and feel" to be disconcerting to the
user and obstructive to effective use of the tool.

Specifying a style guide is often a very effective way of ensuring that users
of applications developed on a platform can easily switch among applications.
The style guide allows people to concentrate on the syntax and semantics of the
tool, and not have to concern themselves with the permutation of the interface.
In the example of the scrollbars, I concur with the person who mentioned the
confusion factor involved with remembering/figuring out how to move up or
down in the window; I always have to click the button and see what happens
before I can do what I want. I think the door handle analogy is a bit specious
since, as pointed out, "door handles" often have to perform different flavors 
of the same function; I expect a scroll bar to move me up or down through a
view, period.

As far as a style guide removing the creativity from designing interfaces, I
don't believe that creativity is precluded. For example, I don't feel con-
strained by the rules of the languages I program in - the rules set out what I 
can and can not do; my application of those rules is the place where I get to 
exercise my creativity and engineering skills. I guess my view of OPEN LOOK is 
that I get a set of design rules that help me make my interfaces more consis-
tent for my users - I don't feel overly constrained. The Macintosh has managed 
to do very well and in fact is often pointed to as an example of how applica-
tions can be made consistent on a single machine. This has come about because 
the Mac has a very specific set of design rules for interfaces. The Mac appli-
cations I've used employ different uses of those design rules, and in general 
are quite successful. "Consistent" does not necessarily mean "duplicate".

>All of this attention on minor details actually fails to address the 
>real issues behind user interface standardization -- that of how a
>particular application maps into the controls presented to the user.
>
>designers need is not a standard "look and feel," but rather a careful
>look at the art of user interface design, perhaps a definative reference 
>work on the subject so that programmers can create their own user 
>interfaces that are clear, simple and attractive.

The above seems to partially illustrate my point. What the style guide provides
is "the attention to minor detail" that many interface designers and 
programmers often ignore. *This* is the level where a consistent look and feel
begins. I agree that *one* of the issues confronting UI designers is "how a
particular application maps into the controls presented to the user." However,
this is only part of the total UI design, just the same as design and coding
is only part of the total software engineering process. Designers do need a
standard look and feel, as well as definitive references and methodologies to
use when creating interfaces. A style guide specifying the look and feel is
only one tool that should be available in the UI designers kit, but I feel it
is a necessary one. Once designers start using the tools available to them, and
as good UI design methodologies become available, then the creators of user
interfaces can really exercise their creative talents and begin to move towards
true interface engineering. I think this process will make UI design more fun,
more interesting, and *less* restrictive, since the human being will be able to
apply all of their efforts to the design problem, not to the repetitive common
work associated with the task.

I skipped a lot of detail here, but this is getting kind of long, so I'll cut
it off at this point.



-- 
... !{decvax,linus,wjh12,mit-eddie,masscomp}!genrad!svb
Steve Boyle  
GenRad Inc,  Production Test Division
MS 06, 300 Baker Ave, Concord, Mass.  01742