What is rule one?

Posted by Kirsten on November 3, 2011 in Humor, Software, Training

With apologies to Terry Pratchett, I am re-writing rule one. While it is always wise to follow his version … “Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men”, – mine will have to be “remember: software is not intuitive”. 

Before you start screaming, I know that there are many cases where software is not challenging to figure out and some people find learning software to be very easy. What I am referring to is the habit that adult learners have when trying to do a task in some piece of software. Generally I get some variation on “I know it’s easy, but I’m not finding it” when people come to me for help.

Why assume that it’s easy?

I teach software for a living and am far more likely than the average user to spend time digging around in software to find what I need. **warning, long and rambling story** This morning I was cursing a long blue streak at Apple for the (to me very counter-intuitive) way they set up default email preferences. I use Outlook 2011 for work and gmail for everything else.

With the new division of Axiom that I’m building I wanted to be be sure to have some kind of online task-tracking and contact-tracking system for my business partner and I to use. After some digging and playing with some trials I chose CapsuleCRM. When I click on a contact email in Capsule I want it to open Outlook. Capsule has a setting to let me open Gmail if I wish, but not Outlook. The default behavior of my computer is to open Mac Mail.

So – how do I get the computer to open Outlook when clicking an email address link? I never had to look for this setting before and was verklempt when I discovered that I had to go into Mac Mail, start a new account and then go to preferences to change the default email settings for the computer to be Outlook.

WHAT?!?  Who thought putting the default email settings inside Mail was a good idea. GAHHHH! I have to create an account so that I can NOT use Mac Mail?

And Kirsten, your point is?

OK, So that was a long way to go for today’s advice – Do not assume that software is intuitive.
Is is very easy to make software rules that are easy to understand for the other people writing the software. It’s not easy to make rules that are easy to understand for someone who is not already versed in the rules and regs of the development team. When you are looking at a new piece of software (or an update to one that you already use), please remember that is is the job of the software to help you – not the other way around.

But everyone says it’s easy

Everyone? no, not everyone (I don’t) – BUT when you encounter those people (your kids, grandkids, easily frustrated coworker…) keep in mind that they fall into one of two catagories:

1. They did find it hard to learn and have forgotten how frustrated they were
2. They have previous experience that makes the software familiar, and therefore easier to learn

How many people do you know that find it totally rational to click the Windows “Start” button to get to Exit? (Don’t get me started on the Windows 7 “Orb” – Gack!). How many Mac users think it makes total sense for a picture of an apple to be a menu? Why is Ctrl (or Command on the mac) and Z the shortcut for “Undo” almost everywhere? – “Because”, that’s why.

It’s almost zen really – “It is what is”. Zen – Yes,  Easy – No

So… what was rule one?

All together now… “Software is NOT intuitive“.

Thank you. Class dismissed.

Share this post

 Print This Post