Comments on: Which Scrollbar Navigation is Best? http://www.actionscriptartist.com/flash-and-usability/which-scrollbar-navigation-is-best/ Design, create, and develop. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:02:00 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Og2t http://www.actionscriptartist.com/flash-and-usability/which-scrollbar-navigation-is-best/comment-page-1/#comment-1027 Og2t Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:02:00 +0000 http://www.actionscriptartist.com/?p=70#comment-1027 Totally agree with Vladimir. Sometimes you just have to move on and forget about old interfaces (which traditional scrollbar is a great example of). Apart from distress, it also creates RSI (by forcing you to stretch your wrists to get to it). But "a scrollbar as an indicator of scrolled content position" (like Apple's iPhone OS) is a good idea, then artist's job to style it might make sense as long as its function is obvious enough. Totally agree with Vladimir. Sometimes you just have to move on and forget about old interfaces (which traditional scrollbar is a great example of). Apart from distress, it also creates RSI (by forcing you to stretch your wrists to get to it).
But “a scrollbar as an indicator of scrolled content position” (like Apple’s iPhone OS) is a good idea, then artist’s job to style it might make sense as long as its function is obvious enough.

]]> By: Anders http://www.actionscriptartist.com/flash-and-usability/which-scrollbar-navigation-is-best/comment-page-1/#comment-1024 Anders Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:49:03 +0000 http://www.actionscriptartist.com/?p=70#comment-1024 Thanks for your response Vladimir! You have added greatly to this article. Thanks for your response Vladimir! You have added greatly to this article.

]]> By: Vladimir Tsvetkov http://www.actionscriptartist.com/flash-and-usability/which-scrollbar-navigation-is-best/comment-page-1/#comment-1023 Vladimir Tsvetkov Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:03:21 +0000 http://www.actionscriptartist.com/?p=70#comment-1023 In terms of usability none of the existing scroll-bars are usable. Why? Let's make a bit of measuring- what it takes to use the scroll-bar: 1. Moving your hand from the keyboard to the mouse - 0.4s 2. Mental preparation - the user needs to decide whether to use the tiny buttons of the scroll-bar or to drag the scroll-thumb, or to click at the scroll-thumb - 1.35s (Why are there so many ways to make the same gesture. OK, for the sake of simplicity let's assume the user always uses the scroll-thumb) 3. Pointing - placing the mouse over the scroll-thumb - it usually takes 1.1s, but because the most common case is using a vertical scroll-bar, which is pretty tiny in width, so according to the Hick's and Fitts law (there is logarithmic relationship between the horizontal size of an interactive element and its usability) it will even take longer than 1.1s 4. Tapping the key of the pointing device to initiate the drag of the scroll-thumb - 0.2s 5. Another pointing - moving the mouse to the next position of the scroll-thumb - 1.1s 6. Mental preparation - deciding if the new position is the position that the user wants - 1.35s 5. Tapping the key - release the primary key of the pointing device - 0.2s All it takes is - 0.4 + 1.35 + 1.1 + 0.2 + 1.1 + 1.35 + 0.2 = 5.7s Removing completely all the scroll-bars and using gestures as the panning in the ZUIs or scrolling with the scrolling wheel will reduce this time and the psychological distress of this simple operation significantly. Don't want to sound arrogant, but there are no good reasons to use an artist for the interaction design (unless this artist is an expert or has deep interests in human cognetics, ergonomics and interaction design), but an artist can do miracles with making an interface aesthetically pleasing - and this is also very important for usability. In terms of usability none of the existing scroll-bars are usable. Why? Let’s make a bit of measuring- what it takes to use the scroll-bar:

1. Moving your hand from the keyboard to the mouse – 0.4s

2. Mental preparation – the user needs to decide whether to use the tiny buttons of the scroll-bar or to drag the scroll-thumb, or to click at the scroll-thumb – 1.35s (Why are there so many ways to make the same gesture. OK, for the sake of simplicity let’s assume the user always uses the scroll-thumb)

3. Pointing – placing the mouse over the scroll-thumb – it usually takes 1.1s, but because the most common case is using a vertical scroll-bar, which is pretty tiny in width, so according to the Hick’s and Fitts law (there is logarithmic relationship between the horizontal size of an interactive element and its usability) it will even take longer than 1.1s

4. Tapping the key of the pointing device to initiate the drag of the scroll-thumb – 0.2s

5. Another pointing – moving the mouse to the next position of the scroll-thumb – 1.1s

6. Mental preparation – deciding if the new position is the position that the user wants – 1.35s

5. Tapping the key – release the primary key of the pointing device – 0.2s

All it takes is – 0.4 + 1.35 + 1.1 + 0.2 + 1.1 + 1.35 + 0.2 = 5.7s

Removing completely all the scroll-bars and using gestures as the panning in the ZUIs or scrolling with the scrolling wheel will reduce this time and the psychological distress of this simple operation significantly.

Don’t want to sound arrogant, but there are no good reasons to use an artist for the interaction design (unless this artist is an expert or has deep interests in human cognetics, ergonomics and interaction design), but an artist can do miracles with making an interface aesthetically pleasing – and this is also very important for usability.

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