useit.com— Macintosh-style interaction design has reached its limits.A new paradigm, called results-oriented UI, might well be the way to empower users in the future.
Oct 10, 2005View in Crawl 4
J.N. gets nicked -5 points because he actually said, "As we move to a new paradigm..." I have two points on this. 1) Word started out as a word processor, something to type up letters. Then they started adding in support of stuff like charts. That makes sense, business people loves their pie graphs. Then MS threw in all kinds of things to make it into some kind of pseudo desktop publishing/layout tool.2) Every cube dwelling nimrod is now going to spend hours pouring over the 'gallery of end results' rather than getting their task done and moving on. People are never happy with templates and will always look to tweak them in the slightest little bits. (for the record, I spend 7 hrs a day in a cube mon-fri)
This isn't a paradigm shift, at all. To use this guys analogy, all art can be put in a template and should look alike. This is a step backwards, not forwards.
hawks5999: Sure, I haven't tried it, but it's pretty clear from the screenshots/videos how it works.I wasn't saying it was better because it's different, but because it simplifies all the functions of Word while retaining all the functionality. The interface is now made up of tabs, each with clearly organized buttons featuring regular formatting options as well as templates with graphical examples of the output. I'm no Microsoft fanatic, but I think it's obvious that the new interface is at the very least an improvement over past versions of Word. I don't see what's so criminal about admitting that. Microsoft does make a lot of mistakes, but you've got to give credit where it's due or nobody takes you seriously.
Too much hype. As stated in a earlier post they are confusing WYSIWYG with GUI.However, it does look like a very (potentially) nice interface with some cool ideas. Just nowhere near a shift in paradigm.
click click click click....ms is the king of the clicking ui.ui needs more quicksilver type interaction. smart keyboard shortcuts that "learn" your work flow tendancies and adapt.
The real deal behind Office 12's new look?Bill Gates, "OpenOffice is kicking our asses for free."Steve Balmer, "Throw a chair at them!!! Bite their ear off!!! Pass me the ball, I'll make the touchdown!!!!!"Bill Gates, (translating Balmereze) "Good idea Steve. If we can't dazzle them with our brilliance, we'll baffle them with new bulls**t."Stave Balmer, "Linux is a cancer!!"(Translation) "It worked for Apple."Bill Gates, "Too true Steve. You are wise man."At this point Palmer tears open a couch cushin with his teeth and foams at the mouth endign the meeting.
Uh, this guy totally misuses the term WYSIWYG, which was never meant to refer to the interface for doing something, but rather the display of what's being done, so that it matches what the end-user will see — whether it be in print or on the Web.Office 12 is no more or less WYSIWYG, as what you're seeing on the screen while authoring is no more or less a representation of what you're going to see in the end product.Does Office offer a potentially cool new interface? Maybe, but even so it's just as WYSIWYG as before.-mpm
Like most columns by Jakob Nielsen, this is complete nonsense, and only promoted to promote Jakob Nielsen's "everything is aimed at getting results" mantra.I'm getting pretty annoyed at Jakob Nielsen launching columns with shocking headlines with no other intension than to promote himself and his business. This guy is not about improving user experiences, he's about improving his own income. Remember "Flash: 99% bad"? "This column: 100% self-promotion" is more like it. He even claims that most 'creative' software could be turned into this silly wizard-ware without problems. Excuse me? That would be like a painter using a paint-by-numbers kit. He has no clue.Stop listening to this 'guru' and start informing yourself about design and engineering practices that have been in use for the best part of a century, much more useful. Oh yes, and don't forget your common sense and your creativity.
friedgeekOct 10, 2005
J.N. gets nicked -5 points because he actually said, "As we move to a new paradigm..." I have two points on this. 1) Word started out as a word processor, something to type up letters. Then they started adding in support of stuff like charts. That makes sense, business people loves their pie graphs. Then MS threw in all kinds of things to make it into some kind of pseudo desktop publishing/layout tool.2) Every cube dwelling nimrod is now going to spend hours pouring over the 'gallery of end results' rather than getting their task done and moving on. People are never happy with templates and will always look to tweak them in the slightest little bits. (for the record, I spend 7 hrs a day in a cube mon-fri)
jteague82Oct 10, 2005
This isn't a paradigm shift, at all. To use this guys analogy, all art can be put in a template and should look alike. This is a step backwards, not forwards.
gotamdOct 10, 2005
I thought it was a pretty good article about the limitations of the WYSIWYG system and how Microsoft plans to overcome it.
cyberfelonOct 11, 2005
hawks5999: Sure, I haven't tried it, but it's pretty clear from the screenshots/videos how it works.I wasn't saying it was better because it's different, but because it simplifies all the functions of Word while retaining all the functionality. The interface is now made up of tabs, each with clearly organized buttons featuring regular formatting options as well as templates with graphical examples of the output. I'm no Microsoft fanatic, but I think it's obvious that the new interface is at the very least an improvement over past versions of Word. I don't see what's so criminal about admitting that. Microsoft does make a lot of mistakes, but you've got to give credit where it's due or nobody takes you seriously.
smhillOct 11, 2005
Too much hype. As stated in a earlier post they are confusing WYSIWYG with GUI.However, it does look like a very (potentially) nice interface with some cool ideas. Just nowhere near a shift in paradigm.
chilibowlOct 11, 2005
click click click click....ms is the king of the clicking ui.ui needs more quicksilver type interaction. smart keyboard shortcuts that "learn" your work flow tendancies and adapt.
rattelerOct 11, 2005
The real deal behind Office 12's new look?Bill Gates, "OpenOffice is kicking our asses for free."Steve Balmer, "Throw a chair at them!!! Bite their ear off!!! Pass me the ball, I'll make the touchdown!!!!!"Bill Gates, (translating Balmereze) "Good idea Steve. If we can't dazzle them with our brilliance, we'll baffle them with new bulls**t."Stave Balmer, "Linux is a cancer!!"(Translation) "It worked for Apple."Bill Gates, "Too true Steve. You are wise man."At this point Palmer tears open a couch cushin with his teeth and foams at the mouth endign the meeting.
mpmchughOct 14, 2005
Uh, this guy totally misuses the term WYSIWYG, which was never meant to refer to the interface for doing something, but rather the display of what's being done, so that it matches what the end-user will see — whether it be in print or on the Web.Office 12 is no more or less WYSIWYG, as what you're seeing on the screen while authoring is no more or less a representation of what you're going to see in the end product.Does Office offer a potentially cool new interface? Maybe, but even so it's just as WYSIWYG as before.-mpm
automatonbeDec 21, 2005
Like most columns by Jakob Nielsen, this is complete nonsense, and only promoted to promote Jakob Nielsen's "everything is aimed at getting results" mantra.I'm getting pretty annoyed at Jakob Nielsen launching columns with shocking headlines with no other intension than to promote himself and his business. This guy is not about improving user experiences, he's about improving his own income. Remember "Flash: 99% bad"? "This column: 100% self-promotion" is more like it. He even claims that most 'creative' software could be turned into this silly wizard-ware without problems. Excuse me? That would be like a painter using a paint-by-numbers kit. He has no clue.Stop listening to this 'guru' and start informing yourself about design and engineering practices that have been in use for the best part of a century, much more useful. Oh yes, and don't forget your common sense and your creativity.