[TYPO3-hci] Innovate - don't imitate

[Quentin Dewhurst]

Hi All  (comments below)

> Hi JoH..
> JoH asenau Wrote:
>
>> One of the core features of AJAX (and part of the acronym) is the fact 
>> that
>> you can deliver stuff asynchronous which basically means, anything can
>> happen on demand.
>> You can change even the smallest part of a website (and the TYPO3 BE is
>> nothing else but a website) whenever necessary, making the whole web
>> application change it's appearance to give the user only those things 
>> that
>> might be useful in the current context.
> Now THAT sounds really interesting! :-)

Yes i totally agree with this too, almost everything we have seen so far is 
still DHTML/javascript essentially as JoH sais Ajax is an acronymn - 
Asynchronous Javascript 'and' XML  now please correct me if i'm wrong but 
i'm failing to see an asynchronus link between javascript and XML in what I 
have seen as suggestions so far most seem to just be DHTML menu's (yes this 
is all well and good not nocking it) but I think JoH really does have a 
point - experimentation with the possibilities of true Ajax powering the 
interface would certainly be adventagious.

>
>
>> Keeping this in mind, could you explain, why one would still need a fully
>> blown DHTML menu with 2 or more levels? Just because it's looking cool, 
>> when
>> the layers are opened and closed with a fading effect?
> Well.. Nobody said it has to DHTML. Nobody said it has to fade. And
> nobody said fading looks cool ;-)
> It's all usability and consistency imho!
> Every other application has a menu in the top - maybe it's not used, but
> it is a good "backup" if you get lost. And it takes what - MAX 30px??
> It's not that I'm a "topmenu fanatic" but I see some huge benefits of
> using a small area in top of the screen, for something users know how to
> use.
>

I too agree that users do have preconceptions / mental models of the way 
they ''should' interact with a system (ergo website) so going completely 
abstract would obviously not be the way forward but i think boris was spot 
on with suggesting someting along the lines of this: 
http://si8.shauninman.com/plete/  I think using ideas from slightly 
'different' approaches such as this would be benificial.

>
>> Wouldn't it be good
>> to have just a main menu that would open only one level of the active 
>> item
>> on demand using AJAX technology? Wouldn't it be even better to have no 
>> menu
>> at all but links, buttons or icons spread over completely different 
>> places,
>> which are not directly connected to a "level" but positioned for a real
>> improvement of usability instead?
> It sounds very promising.. It's kinda hard to imagine how it would work
> though. Is it possible that you could make a *quick* mockup of your
> thoughts?? I would really like to grasp this concept..
>

I agree further discussions out side of email threads should be pursued, 
perhaps forum based or on the wiki?

>
>> IMHO it would be a great innovation to get rid of this level based 
>> "website
>> way" of thinking and create a completely new approach to this web based
>> _application_ called TYPO3.
>> With real interaction between the user and the interface to give people a
>> completely new experience because the application is helping them to cope
>> with their daily tasks instead of surpassing their capabilities.
> Again, sounds very cool, but still, the users need to be able to use
> this help provided to them.
> If made in a clever way, with the user in focus - it could be super!! If
> not, well...

Again I agree - make as natural an interface as possible, one that is 
reactive dependant on a users actions (hence asynchronous between javascript 
and XML)

>
>
>> So what do you think?
>> Could it be worth to open our minds and throw away the old school stuff?
>> After all this is what design is about: Take what is already there and
>> create something better out of it.
> YES!!
>

Absolutely


>
>> So where are the inventors and designers?
>> Anybody willing to accept the challenge?
> I'm game! :-)

I too am very up for this

>
>
>> Let's show that we can do more than just implement a new hype technology 
>> to
>> achieve the same old stuff.
> CAN WE FIX IT? YES WE CAN!!
>
>> Joey
>>
>> PS: Of course this isn't something that could be achieved by just one
>> person.
>> So if there are some more people interested in a new approach to HCI I 
>> would
>> like to setup a team for a proof of concept.
>> I'm not that good as a coder so I would like to offer my experience for 
>> the
>> design/CSS part.
> Hmm.. I'm not at all good at coding.. Never been, and never will be..

I am a competent coder - been a LAMP developer for a good number of years 
now as well as specialising in HCI, I am however only just starting to 
experiment with AJAX (past 6 months)  but feel very confident that I can 
help out on this.  One thing though - I am currently maxxed out with work 
until next month :S  I will be able to provide 'ideas time' and probably 
manage 'some' coding but it wont be anything substantial till 
december/january time...

Cheers, Quentin.

>
> Lasse
>
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