3-2. Modes
Since humans are more pliable than computers, it can be easier to make a human fit the computer's limitations than to design the computer to fit the human's needs. When that happens, the human becomes a prisoner trapped by the computer rather than liberated by it.
—Karla Jennings
Modes are a significant source of errors, confusion, unnecessary restrictions, and complexity in interfaces. Many of the problems modes cause have been widely recognized; nonetheless, making systems truly mode less is an underused tactic in interface design. Before we can discuss methods for eliminating modes, we must understand them in detail, especially because even interface professionals have disagreed about what constitutes a mode (Johnson and Englebeck ...
Get Humane Interface, The: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
