intrigeri:
> I *might* have an explanation why expandable widgets are much less
> common on the desktop than on the web, for a good reason.
>
> * On the web, the user is acting in a context where the content is
> always "floating" vertically: the fact things (content + GUI
> elements) are scrolling up and down is fully part of the UX for the
> vast majority of web pages, for better or worse I don't know; and
> then, in turn, seeing stuff expanding vertically upon user action,
> which in turn moves *unrelated* content vertically as well, is
> entirely expected.
>
> * On the desktop, the only contexts when content is "floating"
> vertically is user content (e.g. in a text editor), that moves
> almost only when the user explicitly chooses so. Other parts of the
> GUI are fixed vertically, and more importantly, they don't in turn
> force unrelated content to move around to some place where the user
> might not be expecting them to be, because oh well, you know, it was
> just right here 4 seconds ago and it disappeared.
>
> So it seems to me that, depending on the user's current mindset,
> expandable parts in a GUI may either be fully OK (on the web), or
> a possible cause for very surprising behaviour that may hinder UX (on
> the desktop).
Just out of curiosity, I checked out the OS X Human Interface Guidelines
for expandable content or ways to display part of a UI only on demand
like tchou tried to do in its design [1].
The closest pattern I found are "disclosure buttons", see
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/ControlsButtons.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000957-CH48-SW1
But those are much simpler that what tchou designed.
I'm still convinced that we shouldn't design desktop applications as if
they were web applications, and that we should instead build upon the
set of widgets that use expect to interact with on the desktop, and the
OS X guidelines seem to agree with me.
[1]:
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-ux/attachments/20150114/77c5004c/attachment-0001.svg
--
sajolida
%20are%20scrolling%20up%20and%20down%20is%20fully%20part%20of%20the%20UX%20for%20the%0A>%20>%20%20%20vast%20majority%20of%20web%20pages,%20for%20better%20or%20worse%20I%20don't%20know;%20and%0A>%20>%20%20%20then,%20in%20turn,%20seeing%20stuff%20expanding%20vertically%20upon%20user%20action,%0A>%20>%20%20%20which%20in%20turn%20moves%20*unrelated*%20content%20vertically%20as%20well,%20is%0A>%20>%20%20%20entirely%20expected.%0A>%20>%20%0A>%20>%20*%20On%20the%20desktop,%20the%20only%20contexts%20when%20content%20is%20%22floating%22%0A>%20>%20%20%20vertically%20is%20user%20content%20(e.g.%20in%20a%20text%20editor),%20that%20moves%0A>%20>%20%20%20almost%20only%20when%20the%20user%20explicitly%20chooses%20so.%20Other%20parts%20of%20the%0A>%20>%20%20%20GUI%20are%20fixed%20vertically,%20and%20more%20importantly,%20they%20don't%20in%20turn%0A>%20>%20%20%20force%20unrelated%20content%20to%20move%20around%20to%20some%20place%20where%20the%20user%0A>%20>%20%20%20might%20not%20be%20expecting%20them%20to%20be,%20because%20oh%20well,%20you%20know,%20it%20was%0A>%20>%20%20%20just%20right%20here%204%20seconds%20ago%20and%20it%20disappeared.%0A>%20>%20%0A>%20>%20So%20it%20seems%20to%20me%20that,%20depending%20on%20the%20user's%20current%20mindset,%0A>%20>%20expandable%20parts%20in%20a%20GUI%20may%20either%20be%20fully%20OK%20(on%20the%20web),%20or%0A>%20>%20a%20possible%20cause%20for%20very%20surprising%20behaviour%20that%20may%20hinder%20UX%20(on%0A>%20>%20the%20desktop).%0A>%20%0A>%20Just%20out%20of%20curiosity,%20I%20checked%20out%20the%20OS%20X%20Human%20Interface%20Guidelines%0A>%20for%20expandable%20content%20or%20ways%20to%20display%20part%20of%20a%20UI%20only%20on%20demand%0A>%20like%20tchou%20tried%20to%20do%20in%20its%20design%20%5B1%5D.%0A>%20%0A>%20The%20closest%20pattern%20I%20found%20are%20%22disclosure%20buttons%22,%20see%0A>%20https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/ControlsButtons.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000957-CH48-SW1%0A>%20%0A>%20But%20those%20are%20much%20simpler%20that%20what%20tchou%20designed.%0A>%20%0A>%20I'm%20still%20convinced%20that%20we%20shouldn't%20design%20desktop%20applications%20as%20if%0A>%20they%20were%20web%20applications,%20and%20that%20we%20should%20instead%20build%20upon%20the%0A>%20set%20of%20widgets%20that%20use%20expect%20to%20interact%20with%20on%20the%20desktop,%20and%20the%0A>%20OS%20X%20guidelines%20seem%20to%20agree%20with%20me.%0A>%20%0A>%20%5B1%5D:%0A>%20https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-ux/attachments/20150114/77c5004c/attachment-0001.svg%0A>%20%0A>%20--%20%0A>%20sajolida%0A>%20%0A>%20 "Reply to this message")
