Comments on: Audio software makers discover UI design (that’s the promise anyway) http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/ Niko Nyman's blog on shifting topics. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:50:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Niko http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/comment-page-1/#comment-9627 Niko Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:13:52 +0000 http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/#comment-9627 <p><a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/003497.html" title="The made by sofa manifesto (on Gaping Void)" rel="nofollow">Related link</a>: <q>Our prime responsibility as software developers is to make sure people have a good time using our software.</q> I'll restate once again: There's more to "good time" than shiny buttons.</p> Related link: Our prime responsibility as software developers is to make sure people have a good time using our software. I’ll restate once again: There’s more to “good time” than shiny buttons.

]]> By: Niko http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/comment-page-1/#comment-9603 Niko Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:59:11 +0000 http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/#comment-9603 <p>You're on the point. What makes audio UIs interesting is the (apparently) vast attention to <em>visual</em> detail that is being spent. Here's another example, the <a href="http://www.macgeneration.com/mgnews/categories/labo/upload/logic/ultrabeat.jpg" title="Ultrabeat screenshot" rel="nofollow">Ultrabeat plugin</a> in Logic Pro. Somehow the designers seem to think betting on the visuals is the same as betting on usability. And this has been going on for as long as plugins have been made (before that, software like Sound Designer II were spartan but made to get things done).</p> You’re on the point. What makes audio UIs interesting is the (apparently) vast attention to visual detail that is being spent. Here’s another example, the Ultrabeat plugin in Logic Pro. Somehow the designers seem to think betting on the visuals is the same as betting on usability. And this has been going on for as long as plugins have been made (before that, software like Sound Designer II were spartan but made to get things done).

]]> By: Ivanka Majic http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/comment-page-1/#comment-9602 Ivanka Majic Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:42:07 +0000 http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2006/12/04/audio-software-makers-discover-ui-design/#comment-9602 <p>I reckon it is a large dollop of number 3 on your list (which did make me smile). There is a big difference between translating a design from one medium to another under the guise of 'using existing mental models' and looking at how people actually behave when using something, what they are trying to do and what they need and then designing something that supports that.</p> <p>It's a bit of a shift for a lot of engineer types though (she says casting aspertions on many) - just because the code compiles doesn't really make the thing usable. Or am I off the point?</p> I reckon it is a large dollop of number 3 on your list (which did make me smile). There is a big difference between translating a design from one medium to another under the guise of ‘using existing mental models’ and looking at how people actually behave when using something, what they are trying to do and what they need and then designing something that supports that.

It’s a bit of a shift for a lot of engineer types though (she says casting aspertions on many) - just because the code compiles doesn’t really make the thing usable. Or am I off the point?

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