Discussion Archive: January 2006

Use of short cut keys in apps

I'm keen to know if anybody has done studies on the use of short cuts keys
in apps.
On what basis should one (Developer/UXD) select what combination of keys
should be applied? I understand that Shift+(Alphabet/Number/Punctuation)
might not be a good idea since in a text area it would display the capital
form of an alphabet/relevant character.
What are the combinations that are easy for the user to remember & type?

Omkar Shende
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Heaven is a state of the soul

Hard and soft buttons

Dear All,

I would like to know the "logic" or "theory" behind the creation/design of
"Hard" and "Soft" buttons on Digital Products.
To take Digital Camera for example: How does one decide what buttons come
on screen and what buttons come off screen?
What is the design criteria?

Regards
Kiran

Computers in Things

On Jan 3, 2006, at 10:51 AM, Josh Seiden wrote:

>His claim is that *in the absence of interaction
>design* the nature of microprocessors combined with
>the nature of engineering-centric approaches will
>always produce a system in which the computer-like
>properties dominate.

I'm not sure I'd agree entirely with that. As a simple example, those
birthday cards that sing have a microprocessor and a sensor in them, to make
it play when it opens.

Speaking of Spimes

I highly recommended Bruce Sterling's book: Shaping Things.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262693267/qid=1136327768/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-4711415-8425759?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
One of the best design books I've read in a long time.
/G