Monday, May 14, 2007

community user interface


Everything changes.

So it's not logical that the human computer user interface (UI) will always be based on a desktop metaphor of windows, icons, menus and pointers (WIMP). Something better will come along.

Maybe something better has come along. Sugar UI, as featured on the OLPC

In Sugar the focus is on a community UI, rather than a desktop UI. This makes a lot of sense because the wirless mesh network is a central feature of the OLPC:

  • Neighbourhood replaces Desktop
  • Frame replaces Menubar

and there are other changes:
  • Journal replaces a hierarchical file system
  • Activities replace applications
  • Objects replace files

Follow this link for a complete description of the OLPC Human Interface Guidelines

Some related links:
The Sugar UI
The Sugar UI featured in the OLPC appears to finally break from the well worn conventions of Windows and MacOS

File Systems Aren't a Feature
Why the file system should be completely eliminated

Video of the OLPC UI

Nooface
The purpose of this site is to support the exchange of ideas about next-generation user interfaces, focusing on approaches that go beyond the Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointing Device (WIMP) method on which most current user interfaces are based

Jensen Harris
This blog is all about the new user interface we've been working on for Office 2007. This new version does away with menus and toolbars and replaces them with new paradigms such as the Ribbon, Contextual Tabs, and Galleries (MS insider view)

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