Category: Practical Matters

Simply saying “it doesn’t feel right” isn’t sufficient feedback when reviewing a design with a manager or prototyper or engineer (much less so for other peer designers). It’s just a recipe for communication breakdown, with misinterpretation and ambiguity creating problems of what was really meant.

Gotta be specific–is it the spacing, the layout, the color, the type, the behavior, etc. Get it down to the specific design signals/variables that is the source of the problem or difficulty–then a productive conversation and more importantly, action, can follow that helps everyone get on the same page and towards resolution.

Else, team breakdowns can result, all over a simple misunderstanding that causes people to try to fix other things that cause breakages to occur in the design, etc.

Surprisingly this is something that is not clear for most designers, although the concepts have been around since late 80’s/early 90’s and often bandied about in professional tones of mastery–Only to be humbled by realizing the fallacies! Also this is not something exactly taught in design school (ahem). However, here’s the basic breakdown of what these concepts mean and why they are confusing…

MDI: Multiple Document Interface, meaning you have many document windows, with the menus, tool bars, palettes all separated out into their own windowed objects, all within the application container, or environment

SDI: Single Document Interface, meaning the document is consolidated into just one window that has the menu, tools, tabs, etc. all compacted into that windowed object (ie, the application container = the window object, with all functionality self-contained)

So what does all that mean, regarding Mac and WinXP?

1. Pseudo-MDI: On WinXP, each application’s document has a window but there is a general application level menu bar, tool bar, etc. On WinXP, closing the last window exits the app. However, on the Macintosh, because the application menu bar is shared with the Finder menu bar, there’s some confusion. You can have multiple document windows open but only one set of menu, toolbar, palettes that contextual update based upon which document is in focus.

2. True SDI: IE is pretty much the exemplar, with each IE window being self-contained, with its own menu, toolbar, history panel, etc.

3. True MDI: X Windows and NEXT, in which even the menu or document navigator is its own window floating with the document windows.

This is what separates the pros from the amateurs–making design decisions by really understanding the construction aspects (ie, code issues), rather than purely aesthetic or other factors. That way, you’re helping to avoid unnecessary re-work, empathizing with the coder’s POV, mindful of the level of work involved, and just smarter all around. Doesn’t happen by itself or magically. Better know-how of the technical issues can also make for better arguments, so you don’t sound “wishy-washy” but firm when talking with Engineers.

Functional details can really matter and add up to either a horribly frustrating experience or one that is fluid, productive, sensible. For example, keyboard shortcuts for a date picker or in-field auto completion (similar to Google Suggest). Coding for CTRL + A, Arrow UP/DOWN, HOME/END buttons, etc. all add up big time for those power users who are data entry experts, 8 hrs a day, 40 hrs a week. They increase productivity and keep the data entry pro humming along swimmingly well, minimizing errors, and maximizing output.

Yes, it’s tedious, but working out the interaction details like tab, shift, control, spacebar, etc. can have huge dividends for your user cranking away at her job someplace…

Sure it may not be the most visible item on the screen or necessarily the most usable (discoverable, functional) but small flourishes like an elegantly crafted branding area (what I like to call the “credenza” for some reason), can add that extra “something” to give a degree of polish, sophistication, and yes beauty to an otherwise rote, dry, spartan interface. Think of the New Beetle’s flower vase next to the dashboard. Adds small delight without obscuring or being grandiose.