Interface analysis from "DontClick"

However...I've done several research about the non-click interface in that "DontClick" site. At the moment, these are the existing interface I've found in an existing site. What a shame is that I can't find any commercial site as a prove. I'll keep finding them.

Anyway...here ya goes:

Dropdown menu modified:

Located - In the main menu section

Description - It looks like a normal dropdown menu. However, it had been modified for proper mouse roll-over interaction. After one of the selections in the main menu which had been roll over, a series of selections will be appeared like a normal dropdown menu. The difference is whenever a selection had been selected, that selection will be enlarged and appeared to be like a main content area. The selections bellow that area will be pushed down.

Good - Innovative to save space and to show the content, a different way to do dropdown menus, and Looks cool, too.

Bad - A lot of people blame the bad usability about the “Dontclick” site is mainly referring to this interface. Because of the content area will push the rest of the selections, several people may find troublesome to shift their mouse. Moreover, the interface will change whenever the user accidentally rollover to something and activates the animation process which may not the user’s intent to see that certain content. It was also said that lots of the people may get confused by the interface which will move around.

List menu with GO:

Located - Explore > The Button Lab

Description - Looks like a normal menu with a list of selections, but enhanced with the roll-over function. Whenever a selection had been roll-over, a “Go” selection when pop out from aside, allow the user to choose to view the content by roll-over the “Go” again, or just ignore it.

Good - A great way to activate a button with mouse roll-over in a cheap way, easy to create them, works great for the menu with lots of selections within it.

Bad - Have to roll-over twice, not a significant usability problem, but some user may be disappointed on not getting a fast navigation from a non-click interface. This interface may not support a submenu within the menu directly. Not a great choice for main menu type interface. Some user may forget to roll-over or do not even recognize to roll-over the “Go” button, and as a result, the content is not activated. However, this problem can be solved with a good design.

Pie Like menu:

Located - Learn > The Click Ergonomy (This menu does not look like a pie menu but it acts like one.)

Description - Works like a normal menu except the selections do not appear to be a list but a round instead. As a result, it is called as a “Pie Menu”. The one in the “Dontclick” site does not have any special mechanism in that pie like menu. All the user need to do is to rollover the selection and the content will pop-up within the selection or outside the selection (Not the DontClick site).

Good - A much better way to navigate with mouse-rollover compare to the listed ones, which may rollover several unwanted selections. It is also argued that the listed menu can still be navigates properly if the user can be extra careful when rolling over a selection. However, the pie menu can reduce more time and effort since the user can worry less about activating the unwanted content accidentally.

Bad - This type of interface is only suitable for a menu which contains a few selections. It is an interface which may takes up lots of space. The more selections the more space will be taken away from the content area, especially when it comes to a menu with a submenu within it. If a pie menu contains a great deal of selections (approximately over eight selections), the menu itself will look cramped. However, this problem can be solved be increasing the pie area or reducing the size of the fonts, but they also create problems like taking up too much space or selections make it hard to view and to navigate.

Combination of Pie and List menu:

Located - Communicate > The Links

Descriptions - It still looks like a normal list menu, but whenever the user rollover a selection, a pie submenu pops out from the main menu. This kind of interface in the “Dontclick” site includes only three main selections which contains a even more selections in it’s submenu. The three selections fit in a circle and give a unique looks for an interface.

Good - A really unique way of making a main menu with submenus looks good if the interface is well-designed. It can contain more selections and it reduce the chance of causing of the original pie menu’s spacing problem and list menu’s navigating problem.

Bad – However, even though it solved both the pie and the list menu’s major issues, but it does not mean that it totally get rid of those issues. If this interface is not designed properly, it may result even crowded interface and the navigation will be even harder due to more selections. The designers have to be extremely careful when they design this type of interface. The outcome may be extremely good or extremely bad since it can solve the pie menu and the list menu’s problem or it can combine both of them into a big problem.

After 3 weeks...yet no comments from anybody which is annoying. Yeah yeah everybody is busy I've heard this excuse again and again. Writing this blog is such a waste of time. I rather just put stuff in my Word document.