Hi Great topic. I've just been through the same thing and we actually usability tested affordances around double clicking (indirectly) on a topology diagram one of my clients has. We used four users, three of whom were regular users, one of whom hadn't touched the product in awhile and gave them tasks that would require them to see information supplied in popups to complete their task. The existing topo they use now had right-click functions (exposed through "training sessions") but no double click functionality. Two of them accidently (I assume) found out we had integrated these detailed popup windows via double click in the version they were being studied on, but there were no hints given in the UI that this existed. My analysis was that due to some other bugs and/or frustrations while using the (in beta) new topology diagram, the users were clicking around quite a bit and were running across things accidently - like the double click. Either that, or they were already double clicking as some people do on the web unnecessarily. I was surprised that any of them actually found this feature given it doesn't exist in their existing version of the app.
Anyhow, our attempt to make the affordance better around double-clicking was to consider one of these two options: Option 1: When this new feature gets released into the topology, the first click interaction (of any kind) interrupts to inform people of the added double-clicking features, using a popup or some type of diagram/screen shot directly above (z-index) the topology. You'd have the typical "don't remind me again/remind me again in a month" kinda stuff as your dismissal commands. Option 2: We put the same instruction content (mentioned above) ABOVE the topology map and pushing it down to give high visibility to this info . (the non z-index/stacking approach where the content is just there automatically right after the upgrade is made to the software.) This is hardly a new invention - many apps give "tips" (Dreamweaver anyone?) that you have to eventually dismiss. Those are ok, but often out of context (right info at the wrong time). In our case, hovering on an item already reveals more data (if you hover on an object, it's name goes from truncated to fully-spelled out). The pulse thing is interesting and worth exploring. thanks! Open to other's suggestions... Brian User experience and interaction designer (Boston/NYC) http://www.rhythmspice.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=40362 ________________________________________________________________ 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
