User Experience/Myths about UX
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About this page
We heard many things about UX, some are true and some are ... questionable. So this page is intended to clarify some of the often made misconceptions. And if you know more, then please add them - or just contact the User Experience Team at ux-discuss and ask if they're true ;-) Thanks!
General Myths about User Experience
More functionality doesn't hurt - newcomers just won't use it!
Myth: Sometimes features seem to be designed for advanced users or to cover each usecase one can think of. If normal people don't need this advanced functionality, they just won't use it and so it doesn't hurt, does it?
Answer: Yes it does hurt! Each piece of functionality added to a system requires interaction - menu space, buttons, keybindings, advanced settings. This will automatically lead to an increased overall complexity that frightens or overwhelmes users. So if you are in doubt if a feature makes sense for many people, then better omit and just serve their needs - you keep the complexity limited and people will be happy anyway!
UX designs the buttons, did you anytime see different outcome?
Myth: If you ask UX, you get a nice dialog layout and that's it. So what is it all about?
Answer: Yes, the result of the User Experience work are GUIs, because it's the communication interface between the user and OpenOffice.org. But it is not about plain buttons, interaction does also have time component, questions the sense of features, respects the target user's abilities and learning capabilities. Thus, it requires a deep understanding about both the use of the software and the user. All those carefully made decisions end up in the final GUI we propose.
