Tag: leapfrogging

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Internet Explorer leapfrogs Firefox?

Previously, I wrote about GUI—when to copy it and when to design it. When your competition has something better, I recommended you design, to leapfrog your competitor. Here’s an example of two competing web browsers:

Click to enlarge

At first glance, the new Internet Explorer 8 address bar looks like a copy of Firefox’s existing awesome bar, but click the image for an enlarged view. You’ll see that:

  • The on-the-fly suggestions are grouped as History and Favourites.
  • Each group lists only five items, by default.
  • To remove an item (think stale links and mistyped URLs), highlight the item and then click the  ×  that appears.

Compared to Internet Explorer 7, Firefox had a better address bar. And just as clearly, the additional features of the Internet Explorer 8 address bar are an attempt to leapfrog Firefox. After the public has used IE8 for three months, it’ll be interesting to hear whether users think Microsoft succeeded.

Read the related post, GUI: Copy it or design it.

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GUI: copy it or design it?

I’m a big believer in following the standards for GUI and interaction design. But when do you copy or reuse an existing design, and when do you design something new? Here’s my guideline for when to design and when to reuse or copy the GUI and interaction:

Reuse When… Design
…there is an external standard.
For example: the Vista UX Guide recommends […].		  
…there is a GUI or interaction precedent in your software.
For example: we distinguish between Import and Open.
   …the precedent uses an out-of-date interaction style.
For example: the users cannot drag an object to move it.
  …the precedent uses an incorrect mental model.
For example: user preferences are saved in a text file.
  …usability tests say the precedent reduces performance.
For example: 70% of occasional users do this wrong.
 …the developer wants to re-use existing GUI.
For example: use a variable to change the dialog-box title.
 …competitors have implemented the feature better.
For example: when they zoom in, it’s smooth, not stuttered.
 …the market has a certain GUI expectations.
For example: iPhone promoted gestures, others had to copy.
  …the product requires a certain strategic direction.
For example: all data must be sharable, locally and remotely.
  …there aren’t sufficient resources to design.
For example: “There’s no time in the schedule for design.”

Reuse your existing design ordesign it using Five Sketches™.
Copy the competitor’s design orleapfrog their design.
  If you ship a feature with poor interaction or poor usability, where’s the user value and where’s your credibility? Not all design processes are lengthy. Five Sketches™ takes about a day for most features that you’re tempted not to design.

Here’s an example: did Internet Explorer leapfrog Firefox?