Go back to your student days and try to remember your best textbooks...
They always started out with the basics, then went deeper and deeper. Each chapter led you stepwise through a concept, using examples, painting a picture then rounding off with some exercises before moving on to the next chapter.
They were not half bad those books, a well written one could keep us on the edge of the seat, making us wanting answers to the "why?" then triggering the occasional "aha!".
The best ones had a story, even if it was a text book on physics, and we were story dwelling in conflicts where logical solutions slowly emerged. In truth they delivered true process, a series of steps with a goal, and for the best textbooks, in such a way that we got truly involved.
This is how good enterprise software should function, storyline, series of natural steps, process, just like the rest of our lives - but alas the underlying structure seeps through, and that architecture and structure is not process based, it's a dynamic database handling at best. So the well proven and effective process oriented textbook template can not be used.
But luckily, enterprise software architects had Waldo!
No process, no natural building of a story, no alternative paths, all in one interface. Perfect. Now they could focus on the itsy-bitsy details instead; colour schemes, rounded corners and placement of navigation bars. Thank heavens for Waldo.
Here's the template:
All rights: Classic Media Distribution Ltd
And here's one result:
All rights: Guess who...
And with that I rest my UI case for now.
When you have to stick to 50 years old ideas (call them "Best Practices"), then interface is the only place where you can show creativity... ;-)
Actual users love to look for some obscure field, clicking on 10 different windows and buttons in a row...
Posted by: Luca Manassero | December 08, 2011 at 12:11
LOLZ!
Posted by: phil jones | December 18, 2011 at 22:40
lmao. Very true @Luca Manassero :))))
Posted by: Adrei Solomon | January 25, 2012 at 10:14