Comments on Ux Unleashed: Remember those Attachments?

@Vinod: Very insightful. If a customer feels "comf...

2007-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

@Vinod: Very insightful. If a customer feels "comfortable" using your product, its a source of competitive advantage in a market where most product offer almost the same features.

definitely, I love cleartrip's messages, though I ...

2007-09-17T01:13:00.000-07:00

definitely, I love cleartrip's messages, though I really hate Orkut's one 'coz I keep getting it so often..
Talking human language in errors makes user's more comfortable with the app rather than just making them wonder if they screwed up with something :)

I agree with Umesh that we need to make the copy a...

2007-09-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

I agree with Umesh that we need to make the copy as intuitive as possible to the user. In the current context of 1 screen in Outlook though, I wouldn't want to mess with the existing metaphor.

The way I see it, getting more user-friendly with the copy is analogous to using first names in the workplace. A couple of decades ago it was still Mr.Shinde, or Mrs. Karmali, but now it is Sunil or Umesh -- even if they are VP or CXO.

@Sunil: Ofcourse not. The copy should be in terms ...

2007-09-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

@Sunil: Ofcourse not. The copy should be in terms with the people who are going to use it.

But that doesnt mean you have to speak machine language to him.

I have written something about this on my blog New age web messages. In the post please have a look at the cleartrip messages. Its so human, i dont find any problem in giving that message to a vice president or in that matter to a president or my dad. They could have even said "Sorry try again". But they chose to explain the problem in a more friendly way and believe me it works.

Do you know how many times my father has told me

"i have entered the password but its asking me the "confirm password". Whats that? Do I have to enter another pwd for confirm pwd too?"

Instead they could have said "type that password again" (Refer 37 signal's tadalist registration form copy), dad would have understood that better.

I just said the word "Cancel" giving as an answer to the question has no human meaning in the that context. Microsoft introduced the lingo long back which we guys are still following. The need of the hour is change. Lets be more human, Instead of "Cancel" lets put it "Take me back to the mail". Its very much vice president safe.

Can you imagine a vice president of a company tryi...

2007-09-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine a vice president of a company trying to log into his email and getting a donut message? :)

@Sowmya/SunilMy only problem is that both Yes and ...

2007-09-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

@Sowmya/Sunil

My only problem is that both Yes and Cancel are taking me back to the mail. Ya you are highlighting the word "Attach" on hitting yes, but ultimately the effect is the same. Just can we think of a work around in this area. something more useful when clicked on Yes. Cancel i agree can go back to the mail. What if we have only Yes and No? Will it work?

btw Some one has already done a similar plugin for apple mail app. http://home.cc.gatech.edu/eaganj/MailApp

But dont think its as good as your idea, like searching for the word through the threads.

@Sowmya:>>Yes/No/Cancel as options. In most contex...

2007-09-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

@Sowmya:

>>Yes/No/Cancel as options. In most contexts, cancel means "just close this window and take me back to what I was doing"<<

I agree with you. CLicking NO should send that email out (like the spell check dialog box). Cancel should just leave him on the email.

oh btw "bad server, no donut for you" is Orkut's s...

2007-09-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

oh btw "bad server, no donut for you" is Orkut's server down message. I'm just very much FOR these kind of system communication copy which is very human.

AgreedI just thought of improving the overall outl...

2007-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Agreed

I just thought of improving the overall outlook communication. As we are talking about a new feature implementation for outlook, we thought we will improve the other parts as well. :-)

@Umesh:Yes:One can attach either a file or an "ite...

2007-09-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

@Umesh:

Yes:
One can attach either a file or an "item" (such as another email, note or calendar item) within an email. Opening the file dialog directly will mean that the user will not have the option of attaching another Outlook item.

Cancel:
I chose those buttons to stay consistent with the Outlook message dialog metaphor and tone.
E.g., If you are composing a mail and try closing the window, you get a message that says (something like) "Do you want to save the changes?" With Yes/No/Cancel as options. In most contexts, cancel means "just close this window and take me back to what I was doing".

If I was doing the message dialog for GMail, I'd do different buttons to be consistent with that UX metaphor, and consider using a different tone. (I've seen a message on one Goog site read "Bad, bad server, no donut for you".)

Good good. I liked the idea right from the first.C...

2007-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Good good. I liked the idea right from the first.

Can i suggest a small thing in your flow - The yes no cancel part

Yes: Clicking on Yes can directly open the file select window

No: can send the mail like u said. no change

Cancel: The word doesnt have any meaning in context with your question. Just imagine me answering cancel if you ask me that question. I know its widely used but lets make it better. It should be something like "Take me back to the mail". I know its long, can we make it shorter keeping the same meaning?