Với giao diện đồ họa, một cách phổ biến để giải quyết vấn đề này là phép ẩn dụ. Nhưng không phải tất cả các ẩn dụ được tạo ra bằng nhau, và điều quan trọng để hiểu lý do tại sao những ẩn dụ làm việc để bạn biết nếu bạn đã có một trong những tốt. | Chapter 9 People Can t Read When you design user interfaces it s a good idea to keep two principles in mind 1. Users don t have the manual and if they did they wouldn t read it. 2. In fact users can t read anything and if they could they wouldn t want to. These are not strictly speaking facts but you should act as if they are facts for it will make your program easier and friendlier. Users don t read the manual. First of all they may not actually have the manual. There may not be a manual. If there is one the user might not have it for all kinds of logical reasons they re on a plane they re using a downloaded demo version from your Web site they re at the beach and the manual is at work their IS department never gave them the manual. Even if they have the manual frankly they are not going to read it unless they absolutely have no other choice and maybe not even then . With very few exceptions users will not cuddle up with your manual and read it through before they begin to use your software. In general your users are trying to get something done and they see reading the manual as a waste of time or at the very least a distraction that keeps them from getting their task done. The very fact that you re reading this book puts you in an elite group of highly literate people. Yes I know people who use computers are by and large able to read but I guarantee you that a good percentage of them will find reading a chore. The language in which the manual is written may not be their first language and they may not be totally fluent. They may be kids They can decipher the manual if they really must but they sure ain t gonna read it if they don t have to. Users do just-in-time reading on a strictly need-to-know basis. The upshot of all this is that you probably have no choice but to design your software so it doesn t need a manual in the first place. The only exception I can think of is if your users do not have any domain knowledge they don t really understand what the .
