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Re: OT? Ode to Word and Completely Intuitive software.
Subject:Re: OT? Ode to Word and Completely Intuitive software. From:David Locke <dlocke -at- BINDVIEW -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 7 Jun 1999 18:51:13 -0500
The original comments and several replies illustrate the role of a
conceptual model in the intuitiveness of a given application. The original
post was from someone that understood the work to be done as DTP and had a
DTP-based conceptual model. The twenty hour learning curve was the result of
the mismatch between the user's conceptual model and the application. The
person that claimed that the work could be done in an hour used a MS
Word-literate conceptual model based on word processing. The second person's
conceptual model was convergent with MS Word and was probable built on
experience doing word processing as opposed to DTP.
The degree to which an application is intuitive for a given user is
consistent with that user's conceptual model of the application. The
cognitive models of the intended users can be used to design intuitive
software.
