 |
Consistency
Consistency in the interface allows people to transfer their knowledge and skills from one application to any other. Use the standard elements of the Macintosh interface to ensure consistency within your application and to benefit from consistency across applications.
Effective applications are consistent in a number of different ways. Consistency in the visual interface helps people learn and then easily recognize the graphic language of the interface--for example, once users know what a checkbox looks like, they don't have to learn another symbol for making choices. Consistency in the behavior of the interface means that people have to learn how to do things such as clicking and pointing only once; then they can explore new applications or new types of features using skills that they already have. In general, consistency benefits the typical user, who usually divides working time among several applications, and it benefits software developers because their users can build on prior experiences with elements in other applications when learning how to use a new application.
The following are some questions you can ask yourself when thinking about consistency in your product.
Is your product consistent
- within itself?
- with earlier versions of your product?
- with Macintosh interface standards?
- in its use of metaphors?
- with people's expectations?
Note that the most difficult kind of consistency to achieve is matching people's expectations. Because you often face a wide audience and a range of expertise, it's difficult to meet the expectations of everyone. You can address this problem by carefully weighing the consistency issues in the context of your target audience and their needs.
|
