Comments on: Oversimplification is confusing (or, Don’t ask stupid questions) http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/ on programming, usability, and design; by Patrick Dubroy Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:35:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michal T http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3752 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:12:19 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3752 <p>What I really don't understand is this: why the extra dialog? The setting has little impact - either adds a small performance penalty to loads and saves, or makes a few old apps not compatibile with the new files. </p> <p>If Photoshop asked that (and gave a short explanation) the first time I saved a file, I would consider it a thoughtful, professional move from Adobe. But a dialog on every save? Please. I blame lazy developers and/or lack of coherent vision from project management.</p> <p>This should be a standard Yes/No dialog with a "Don't ask again" checkbox.</p> What I really don’t understand is this: why the extra dialog? The setting has little impact - either adds a small performance penalty to loads and saves, or makes a few old apps not compatibile with the new files.

If Photoshop asked that (and gave a short explanation) the first time I saved a file, I would consider it a thoughtful, professional move from Adobe. But a dialog on every save? Please. I blame lazy developers and/or lack of coherent vision from project management.

This should be a standard Yes/No dialog with a “Don’t ask again” checkbox.

]]> by: Patrick http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3741 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:05:08 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3741 <p>Michal:</p> <p>Thanks for the pointer. That's about what I figured. Although I never would have guessed that this compatibility stretched all the way back to Photoshop 2.5! 14 years of compatibility -- even Microsoft doesn't bother with that. Wow.</p> Michal:

Thanks for the pointer. That’s about what I figured. Although I never would have guessed that this compatibility stretched all the way back to Photoshop 2.5! 14 years of compatibility — even Microsoft doesn’t bother with that. Wow.

]]> by: Michal T http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3733 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:40:09 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3733 <p>In case someone wants to know what that checkbox really does, here's a fragment of http://www.adobepress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=30163&seqNum=8&rl=1 (from Google's cache, since it's unavilable atm).</p> <p>Always Maximize Compatibility for Photoshop (PSD) Files. [..] Basically, when this checkbox is turned on, Photoshop saves a flattened version of your layered image along with the layered version. The result: if you give the file to someone who is using Photoshop 2.5 (we don't know anyone who does), they can open it. [..] The main problem is that this feature (which is on by default) makes your image sizes larger on disk (sometimes several times larger) than they would otherwise be. [..] leave it turned on if you're using some other program that claims to open native Photoshop files, like Macromedia FreeHand, but which requires this flattened version to work.</p> In case someone wants to know what that checkbox really does, here’s a fragment of http://www.adobepress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=30163&seqNum=8&rl=1 (from Google’s cache, since it’s unavilable atm).

Always Maximize Compatibility for Photoshop (PSD) Files. [..] Basically, when this checkbox is turned on, Photoshop saves a flattened version of your layered image along with the layered version. The result: if you give the file to someone who is using Photoshop 2.5 (we don’t know anyone who does), they can open it. [..] The main problem is that this feature (which is on by default) makes your image sizes larger on disk (sometimes several times larger) than they would otherwise be. [..] leave it turned on if you’re using some other program that claims to open native Photoshop files, like Macromedia FreeHand, but which requires this flattened version to work.

]]> by: Patrick http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3559 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:30:22 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3559 <p>Gerry: I think maybe that restaurant is operating on the 37 Signals "<a href="http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php" rel="nofollow">Getting Real</a>" philosophy!</p> <blockquote> <p>Do less than your competitors to beat them. Solve the simple problems and leave the hairy, difficult, nasty problems to everyone else. Instead of oneupping, try one-downing. Instead of outdoing, try underdoing.</p> </blockquote> <p>Instead of making soup, just make broth -- let your customers tear up the bread into tiny chunks for the soup!</p> Gerry: I think maybe that restaurant is operating on the 37 Signals “Getting Real” philosophy!

Do less than your competitors to beat them. Solve the simple problems and leave
the hairy, difficult, nasty problems to everyone else. Instead of oneupping,
try one-downing. Instead of outdoing, try underdoing.

Instead of making soup, just make broth — let your customers tear up the bread into tiny chunks for the soup!

]]> by: Gerry http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3557 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:09:57 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3557 <p>I clicked here from Signal vs Noise, and was surprised to be brought to your blog! Even more surprising is that my experimentation in Chinese food is featured in your blog entry. Maybe there's another UI principle in the fact that the restaurant made me, the customer, assist in making the soup? Don't make users do stuff that the computer can do automatically? On the other hand, I did feel a little pride in the fact that my handiwork went into the soup.</p> I clicked here from Signal vs Noise, and was surprised to be brought to your blog! Even more surprising is that my experimentation in Chinese food is featured in your blog entry. Maybe there’s another UI principle in the fact that the restaurant made me, the customer, assist in making the soup? Don’t make users do stuff that the computer can do automatically? On the other hand, I did feel a little pride in the fact that my handiwork went into the soup.

]]> by: Patrick http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3469 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:36:38 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3469 <p>e: Yep, you're right. As I wrote in <a href="http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/09/21/making-up-my-mind-about-oversimplification/" rel="nofollow">my post today</a>: in retrospect, I don't think "oversimplification is confusing" was really the problem here. The problem was either (a) not enough simplification, or (b) the <em>wrong</em> simplification.</p> <p>"Provide users with enough explanation to make an informed decision" is a good maxim, but I would add "or don't let them make the decision at all."</p> <p>Another way of describing what happened here is that by leaving information out (which is often done in pursuit of simplification) they actually made things more complicated.</p> e: Yep, you’re right. As I wrote in my post today: in retrospect, I don’t think “oversimplification is confusing” was really the problem here. The problem was either (a) not enough simplification, or (b) the wrong simplification.

“Provide users with enough explanation to make an informed decision” is a good maxim, but I would add “or don’t let them make the decision at all.”

Another way of describing what happened here is that by leaving information out (which is often done in pursuit of simplification) they actually made things more complicated.

]]> by: e http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3468 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:27:47 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3468 <blockquote>Keeping your dialogs simple is a good idea, but be careful — sometimes oversimplification can be confusing.</blockquote> <p>Isn't there a bigger UI commandment here? Instead of forbidding UI writers from oversimplifying (where simplifying == "hide information from the user"), which isn't very clear, wouldn't it make more sense to command them to "Provide users with enough explanation to make an informed decision"?</p> <p>e</p>

Keeping your dialogs simple is a good idea, but be careful — sometimes oversimplification can be confusing.

Isn’t there a bigger UI commandment here? Instead of forbidding UI writers from oversimplifying (where simplifying == “hide information from the user”), which isn’t very clear, wouldn’t it make more sense to command them to “Provide users with enough explanation to make an informed decision”?

e

]]> by: Patrick http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3465 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:23:09 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3465 <p>Chance: Ah yes, the turbo button. Well, of course you should leave it off, and save it for when you really need to get something done fast. ;-)</p> <p>I actually remember that when I used to play F-15 Strike Eagle II on my mom's 486DX2, I had to turn the turbo off to make it playable. That's all I ever used it for.</p> Chance: Ah yes, the turbo button. Well, of course you should leave it off, and save it for when you really need to get something done fast. ;-)

I actually remember that when I used to play F-15 Strike Eagle II on my mom’s 486DX2, I had to turn the turbo off to make it playable. That’s all I ever used it for.

]]> by: Chance http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3464 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:52:52 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3464 <p>This reminds of when PCs used to have "Turbo" buttons. Why wouldn't I want my computer to run at the maximum speed? Will more errors or overheating occur if I leave it on Turbo? Should I give my PC a break now and then? What's the alternative scenario?</p> This reminds of when PCs used to have “Turbo” buttons. Why wouldn’t I want my computer to run at the maximum speed? Will more errors or overheating occur if I leave it on Turbo? Should I give my PC a break now and then? What’s the alternative scenario?

]]> by: Dubroy.com/blog » Making up my mind about oversimplification http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3463 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:47:40 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/08/30/oversimplification-is-confusing-or-dont-ask-stupid-questions/#comment-3463 <p>[...] I just saw that my post Oversimplification is Confusing from a few weeks ago got posted on Signal vs. Noise. Coincidentally, I posted yesterday that things should be as simple as possible, and then some. Well, well, well. Sounds a little contradictory, doesn’t it? [...]</p> […] I just saw that my post Oversimplification is Confusing from a few weeks ago got posted on Signal vs. Noise. Coincidentally, I posted yesterday that things should be as simple as possible, and then some. Well, well, well. Sounds a little contradictory, doesn’t it? […]

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