I wrote:
> Just thinking it through: if you allow users to include an extra step
("Adjust text so that it is comfortable") then I'd definitely expect task
time to increase just because of the extra step. But I'd also expect users
to prefer the comfortable display.Jack Moffett replied: > Of course, you are assuming that the result is a more comfortable display. Just because people think bright yellow text on a bright blue background is good doesn't make it so. Eh? I don't get it. Are you saying that you wouldn't allow users to judge for themselves whether they consider something to be set up to be comfortable or not? Well, I suppose there is a risk. We've probably all come across someone who's been experimenting with tuning a display and accidentally ended up with (say) white text on a white background. But so far, I've never come upon someone who has adjusted a display that to something that they find uncomfortable and kept it that way. I *have* observed users who have set their display up in a way that I considered to be thoroughly unpleasant, but on investigation there's always been a good reason for it. Example 1: (I've mentioned this before) A display set up with a clashing scheme of acid colours. Reason: user was colour-blind and suffered from migraines. He'd learnt over long experience what mixture worked for him. Example 2: (Just last week) An LCD display set up with nastily fuzzy text. A moment's diagnosis showed that the user had opted for a display resolution of about 75% of the native pixels for the display. Result: larger but (to my eyes) unpleasantly fuzzy. Reason: user had tried native resolution, and found it was too small to be comfortable. She'd tried both ways and was happier with the larger size. (Longer term solution would be to buy her a bigger monitor, but that's another problem). This whole sight thing is quite complex. As has been pointed out in this thread, with some people saying that the (generally recommended) convention of dark-on-light isn't good for them. Best Caroline Jarrett Out now: "Forms that work: Designing web forms for usability" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forms-that-Work-Interactive-Technologies/ dp/1558607102 http://www.amazon.com/Forms-that-Work-Interactive-Technologies/dp/product-de scription/1558607102 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
