Comments on: Mimic the behaviour of desktop apps http://uxdige.st/mimic-the-behaviour-of-desktop-apps/ The best UX tips, tricks and resources from across the web Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:31:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Elixon http://uxdige.st/mimic-the-behaviour-of-desktop-apps/comment-page-1/#comment-494 Elixon Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:55:04 +0000 http://uxdige.st/?p=131#comment-494 I can see a big problem in Web applications. By the first sight the Web application look no different then any other page. How can I know that I can drag&drop? How can I know that this is "Web Application" that allows me to do more? There are no clear visual guides. And if there were then the value was decreased by zillions of web pages that use this visual style without providing necessary capability. For example if I see window-like styled DIV then I don't expect it is drag-able by default... For me the only way how to make it clear is not only support the behavior of desktop application but also have the full look of the desktop application. If you came across the page that looks 100% like your Word, sure you will try to behave like in Word and you will expect pull down menus and drag&drops. This is not the case of Google UI. People don't expect it to behave like desktop application yet so people will not even try it. This is the problem with their "simplistic" design. For me the nice way is Mozilla's XUL that I use for development. It is web-based but it looks like native desktop app on whatever OS you use... I can see a big problem in Web applications. By the first sight the Web application look no different then any other page.

How can I know that I can drag&drop? How can I know that this is “Web Application” that allows me to do more? There are no clear visual guides. And if there were then the value was decreased by zillions of web pages that use this visual style without providing necessary capability. For example if I see window-like styled DIV then I don’t expect it is drag-able by default…

For me the only way how to make it clear is not only support the behavior of desktop application but also have the full look of the desktop application. If you came across the page that looks 100% like your Word, sure you will try to behave like in Word and you will expect pull down menus and drag&drops.

This is not the case of Google UI. People don’t expect it to behave like desktop application yet so people will not even try it. This is the problem with their “simplistic” design.

For me the nice way is Mozilla’s XUL that I use for development. It is web-based but it looks like native desktop app on whatever OS you use…

]]> By: Jason Robb http://uxdige.st/mimic-the-behaviour-of-desktop-apps/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Jason Robb Sun, 08 Feb 2009 03:15:48 +0000 http://uxdige.st/?p=131#comment-12 Well said. And well written. Cheers, Jason R. http://uiscraps.tumblr.com Well said. And well written.

Cheers,
Jason R.
http://uiscraps.tumblr.com

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