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Backwards Goals: MS Office Results Oriented UI

November 18, 2005 04:51 PM
Posted in: User Experiences

In the overview of the new "results oriented" UI planned for MS Office 12, our friends in Redmond offer:

"The overriding design goal for the new UI is to deliver a user interface that enables users to be more successful finding and using the advanced features of Microsoft Office. An additional important design goal was to preserve an uncluttered workspace that reduces distraction for users so that they can spend more time and energy focused on their work."

Let me get that straight. Your first goal is to make it easier for me to find and use advanced features that the vast majority of people employ rarely if ever, and didn't need in the first place?

And something else that was also important - but not as important as access to all those shiny advanced features - was to make the workspace uncluttered and allow me to focus on my work?

Isn't that... backwards?


Comments

Maybe they will expose the new features, and make them easy to use, and keep the workspace uncluttered... maybe. I hope so, since this is the group we're partnering with now:)

Posted by: Jim at November 18, 2005 08:38 PM

...as if...despite our partership, I'm afraid...very afraid.

Posted by: joe s at December 6, 2005 11:21 AM

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