Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!tektronix!teklds!zeus!bobr From: bobr@zeus.UUCP (Robert Reed) Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng Subject: Re: Hierarchical vs. Stacked Menus Message-ID: <1032@zeus.UUCP> Date: Wed, 24-Dec-86 20:06:45 EST Article-I.D.: zeus.1032 Posted: Wed Dec 24 20:06:45 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 25-Dec-86 03:35:36 EST References: <239@acornrc.UUCP> Reply-To: bobr@zeus.UUCP (Robert Reed) Organization: CAE Systems Division, Tektronix Inc., Beaverton OR Lines: 29 In article <239@acornrc.UUCP> bob@acornrc.UUCP (Bob Weissman) writes: > > As a user interface designer, I would be very interested to find out > exactly what made the hierarchical menus unusable. > Bob Weissman The problem with hierarchical menus is not the fact of their hierarchy per se, but the way which they are frequently implemented. The effort of the user is directed to executing a single operation. If the thread of that hierarchy is lost or if the user is forced into performing a series of input events in order to initiate that operation, the user can become confused or frustrated or both. A system which: o shows the user where in the hierarchy they are o avoids forcing the user to do more than one action to navigate the menu (typically moving the cursor around) o is responsive enough so that the user doesn't have to wait for the system to change submenu context (i.e. updating the screen to show the user where they are) then it is likely that the menu hierarchy will succeed. If any of these elements are missing, then the interface will be less successful. Note that as the menu hierarchy becomes deeper, the mechanisms for displaying and navigating the menu become more difficult, because more steps are necessary to get from one arbitrary leaf to another of the menu. -- Robert Reed, Tektronix CAE Systems Division, bobr@zeus.TEK