[IxDA Discuss] ease of use & interfaces for "power" users

[Esteban Barahona]

Hi all,

ease of use isn't of much help if it cripples functionality. Imagine a
configuration glider with 2 extremes: "power" and "average" user. This
glider can switch from hiding functionality in the UI (or complexity) or
look like a complex airplane (control) panel (...minus the context-oriented
eurofighter, but that's another story). btw, what defines a power user(1)?

I have being thinking of this, what exactly is ease of use? Aren't designers
forcing a "one size fits all" UI? For example, Macintosh (which finally, I
can now play/use/test in the University's labs) is easy. Maybe too easy. The
dock's icon size can be configured with a glider, but a user can not chose
the exact number of pixels (...or milimeters) of icons. GNU/Linux's GNOME
and KDE (which I use at home) are much more configurable. Sometimes even to
the extreme of being "beta" and instable (GNOME is stable enough if 3D
desktop effects aren't enabled). But why not let the user chose the level of
functionality/complexity(2)? ...instead of a user choosing a simple or a
complex monolithic unflexible UI. Isn't a flexible, scripptable, complex,
fully-functional UI "easy" (or more useful?) for a power user?

(1) I don't like much the term, partly because IMO everyone has the
potential to be a power user if needed/wanted... without being crippled by
the UI.

(2) complex/simple is another concept that IMO is not that accurate for UI
Design. If there's a LOT of functionality, and the user wants/needs it,
those the interface should look complex or simple? How should it behave? Can
interfaces for complex functionality may look complex (for someone that
isn't a power user) but behave in a simple (straight-forward) way?


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