[Design] Some feedback from a new user

Mimi Yin mimi at osafoundation.org
Tue Sep 4 08:47:44 PDT 2007


Visual clutter is definitely an issue. One design that we considered  
and punted to future is to dynamically label just the TOP hour slot  
with AM/PM. So for example, if you've scrolled the calendar so that 3  
in the afternoon is at the top, it should say 3PM at the top.

On Aug 29, 2007, at 2:58 PM, Robin Cottiss wrote:

>>>> [Jeffrey:]
>>>> Personally, I find the repeated AM/PM to be visual clutter, but  
>>>> I'll
>>>> confess I also occasionally get confused about whether I'm  
>>>> looking at
>>>> AM or PM, so I agree that the desktop certainly doesn't have it  
>>>> right
>>>> yet.  I wonder if there's some out-of-the box way to avoid  
>>>> confusion
>>>> without repeating AM/PM?
>>>
>>> How about some shading or gradient in the time panel?
>>
>> It is there, sort of: the work hours (9-5) have a darker left-hand
>> border. If this is extended to add shading to the entire background,
>> then I think that:
>>
>>  1. it should distinguish working and non-working hours, not am/pm
>>  2. non-working hours should be in a darker shade
>>
>> Incidentally, this is how Outlook does it. But I'm happy with the
>> current design, personally. More importantly, extensive shading might
>> clash with Chandler mostly-white look, as opposed to Outlook's  
>> heavy use
>> of blues and yellows.
>>
>> Davor
> [Robin Cottiss]
> I Just looked at Outlook 2007 and it denotes am/pm on the 1st time  
> slot that
> is visible ad dynamically updates as you scroll! It also always has  
> noon as
> 12pm. I am not sure about using the working hours to give the am/pm  
> context.
> That would be asking your brain to do quite a lot! Suppose the view  
> I have
> is all workday (so I do not see the boundaries). My brain has to  
> know that
> the darker (or is it lighter?) shade/color is the workday then  
> translate
> that into am/pm. You can tell the Outlook team had this issue as  
> they have
> done a lot of work to address it. I cannot remember what previous  
> versions
> of Outlook did but I am sure the am/pm context was not difficult to  
> decode.
>
> Robin
>
> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>
> Open Source Applications Foundation "Design" mailing list
> http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design



More information about the Design mailing list