Comments on: Using the Microsoft Ribbon without anyone getting hurt http://www.thinkflowinteractive.com/2008/10/06/using-the-microsoft-ribbon-without-anyone-getting-hurt/ News and ideas on user experience. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:31:05 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Phil Barrett http://www.thinkflowinteractive.com/2008/10/06/using-the-microsoft-ribbon-without-anyone-getting-hurt/comment-page-1/#comment-269 Phil Barrett Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:21:47 +0000 http://fronttoback.org/2008/10/06/using-the-microsoft-ribbon-without-anyone-getting-hurt/#comment-269 Thanks, Jared. I agree. I've been counting clicks, and the ribbon tends to require more clicks to do things. Not surprising in some ways - since everything is filed away on tab. I must say, the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5051474/windows-7-milestone-3-previewed-just-like-vista-but-with-office-2007-ribbon-ui" rel="nofollow">Windows 7 preview of MS paint</a> does look pretty simple and coherent. Possibly because it's not a kitchen sink application. Thanks, Jared. I agree. I've been counting clicks, and the ribbon tends to require more clicks to do things. Not surprising in some ways - since everything is filed away on tab.

I must say, the Windows 7 preview of MS paint does look pretty simple and coherent. Possibly because it's not a kitchen sink application.

]]> By: Jared http://www.thinkflowinteractive.com/2008/10/06/using-the-microsoft-ribbon-without-anyone-getting-hurt/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Jared Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:32:54 +0000 http://fronttoback.org/2008/10/06/using-the-microsoft-ribbon-without-anyone-getting-hurt/#comment-267 I think one other issue with the ribbon is that if you can't remember where something is, it's a lot of work to find it. You have to click each section of the ribbon. Compare this with the ease of exploring your standard drop-down menus. Click once, move the mouse across the menu bar and all is quickly revealed. Sensible groupings of objects on the ribbon should mitigate this, but I suspect that the bigger and more complex an application, the harder it will get. In the case of something like Word, where it has so many features and so many user goals due to its kitchen-sink design history, I think it's going to be hard to get this right. One way for them to solve this might be for them to allow word to be configured or sold around particular user goals or objectives. This would allow users to find the right mental-model for themself. I have no idea if they'd actually do this though, or if it would really be any easier. I think one other issue with the ribbon is that if you can't remember where something is, it's a lot of work to find it. You have to click each section of the ribbon.

Compare this with the ease of exploring your standard drop-down menus. Click once, move the mouse across the menu bar and all is quickly revealed.

Sensible groupings of objects on the ribbon should mitigate this, but I suspect that the bigger and more complex an application, the harder it will get. In the case of something like Word, where it has so many features and so many user goals due to its kitchen-sink design history, I think it's going to be hard to get this right.

One way for them to solve this might be for them to allow word to be configured or sold around particular user goals or objectives. This would allow users to find the right mental-model for themself. I have no idea if they'd actually do this though, or if it would really be any easier.

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