[IxDA Discuss] Fix screen and more than a screen of text: Should Ipaginate vertically or horizontally?

[Stew Dean]

Thanks Marijke

The problem is there are two forms of main navigation on the service.
One uses left and right to move between screens and the other uses a
'grid' system where left and right moves you around a screen.

On the sevice it's self there are already scrolling boxes (up and down
are the only keys free to use).

Channel Up and Down are used to page up and down both in text and in
lists. It's not that intuitive but, for now, I'm going to ignore that
and that I think it's bad usability and instead go for consistancy
(which is a real poor get out cause of bad usability I know).

In some ways I have my hands tied as I'm working with a third party
solution that has some weird and wonderful interface solutions that
work for the tasks it aims to do but doesnt think beyond it's imediate
goals.

It's been interesting to explore the different potential solutions
different platforms use.

Cheers

Stewart Dean



On 31/08/07, Marijke Rijsberman <marijke at interfacility.com> wrote:
> I've tested TV-based services where the left-right paging approach worked
> well. This could have been a consequence of the fact that the entire
> interface was based on a left-right paradigm. Essentially nothing moved up
> or down. That may be the determining factor.
>
> Marijke
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Stew
> Dean
> Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 9:21 AM
> To: discuss at ixda.org
> Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Fix screen and more than a screen of text: Should
> Ipaginate vertically or horizontally?
>
> Hi,
>
> This is one of those 'pattern' issues.
>
> I'm setting out interaction styles  for a TV based service and I'm
> covering scenarios where there is quite a bit of text (given that
> we're also saying 'the less text the better). From a usability point
> of view I know I'm goig to say 'don't put text in a scrolling box'
> (fine for T+Cs but not for help text or stuff you want folks to read).
>
> So...
>
> The alternatives is you have 'pages' of text which, using the remote
> control, you page through. So the text may be 4 pages (that's not much
> text but the font size is nice and chunky).  What I'm trying to
> determine, without having time to do user testing etc, is if the page
> should be navigated 'left and right' or 'up and down'.  I'm focused
> upon arrow keys, select and back key to drive the experience and have
> the user not have to try and find buttons they don't normaly use so
> don't worry about other buttons. We don't have a page up / page down
> button like some services.
>
> Anyone had experience with this.  My playstation 3 has scrolling text
> boxes, but this stuff is just for T+Cs.
>
> So left and right or up and down - thoughts?
>
> --
> Stewart Dean
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-- 
Stewart Dean