UI Expert Says Windows 9 Will Be Windows 8 Done Right

In his opinion, the operating system interface is "a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity." However, on a positive note, he stated that "there's nothing that a modest redesign can't fix".

Nielsen's analysis is based on a usability report he conducted with both inexperienced and experienced users that were confronted with Windows 8 for the first time and had to complete specific tasks. Much of his criticism is based on the notion that Microsoft went to an extreme approach to adapt a touch UI that we love to use on smartphones, but may not be such a great idea on a larger PC screen. "The new look sacrifices usability on the altar of looking different than traditional GUIs," Nielsen wrote.

From the post:

"Windows" no longer supports multiple windows on the screen. Win8 does have an option to temporarily show a second area in a small part of the screen, but none of our test users were able to make this work. Also, the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window. When users can't view several windows simultaneously, they must keep information from one window in short-term memory while they activate another window. This is problematic for two reasons. First, human short-term memory is notoriously weak, and second, the very task of having to manipulate a window—instead of simply glancing at one that's already open—further taxes the user's cognitive resources."

The designer also took issue with the fact that Microsoft chose a path to a flat surface and clickable icons are more difficult to identify, the fact that charms are integrated in an "out of sight, out of mind", which causes people to forget that they exist:

"In practice, the charms work poorly — at least for new users. The old saying, out of sight, out of mind, turned out to be accurate. Because the charms are hidden, our users often forgot to summon them, even when they needed them. Hiding commands and other GUI chrome makes sense on small mobile phones. It makes less sense on bigger tablet screens. And it makes no sense at all on huge PC screens."

According to Nielsen, touch gestures could also use another thought or two:

"The UI is littered with swipe ambiguity, where similar (or identical) gestures have different outcomes depending on subtle details in how they're activated or executed. For example, start swiping from the right to the left and you will either scroll the screen horizontally or reveal the charm bar, depending on exactly where your finger first touched the screen. This was very confusing to the users in our study."

To improve Windows, Nielsen suggested to revise application guidelines to promote a more restrained use of Live Tiles, consider higher information density, better visibility of key features, "and many other usability guidelines we've already discovered in testing other tablets."

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  • Shinobi_III
    The guy must be retarded, just click the application and run it on the desktop.
    Reply
  • kellybean
    Agree, someone who isn't a MS fanboy or bribed speaks the truth about 8.
    Reply
  • mikenygmail
    "the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
    lol @ "Microsft Window" HAHAHAHAHA!

    So, no desktop and only 1 Window? Could it be any worse?
    Reply
  • karmamule
    Go look at his website (useit.com), it is sadly outdated, and tells you a lot about how much his "expert" opinion should be valued. He may have been renowned in the past, but he seems like an anachronism to me...
    Reply
  • omnimodis78
    Shinobi_IIIThe guy must be retarded, just click the application and run it on the desktop.Yes, you're right, he's "retarded"....but thankfully we have more qualified expertise, such as yours! I know you took the time to read his entire report (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html) and so you are in a good position to call others "retarded" and dismiss his findings. Of course, you also realize that he used real people as test subjects - so he was simply analyzing and reporting on their experiences. But, who cares, because apparently we can just click the application and run it on the desktop...
    Reply
  • Bloob
    If you only need to know office and web, Win 8, is fine. If you need to know more than that, then you should know how to use the keyboard efficiently, where again, Win 8 is fine.
    Reply
  • mikenygmail
    Forget Windows 9, Windows 7 SE would be Windows 8 done right.
    Reply
  • deadlockedworld
    Seems logical and very basic/expected. MS has a cycle of introduce, improve, introduce, improve.
    Reply
  • dare2blink
    This guy is making the same basic mistalke that so many are. Obviously without any training most people will be lost when confronted with Windows 8 for the first time. In 10 min of watchig a tutorial or 2 anyone can be up to speed however. He Also does not seem to understand how to use it (or blatantly lies) since you can easily have many Windows on the screen at one. the idiot thinks that the start menu is the main ui of the OS. It is a START SCREEN, get it? That is like saying that the start menu was the main UI of Windows 7. It´s sad that idiots that this are the ones being taken seriously
    Reply
  • dare2blink
    This guy is making the same basic mistalke that so many are. Obviously without any training most people will be lost when confronted with Windows 8 for the first time. In 10 min of watchig a tutorial or 2 anyone can be up to speed however. He Also does not seem to understand how to use it (or blatantly lies) since you can easily have many Windows on the screen at one. the idiot thinks that the start menu is the main ui of the OS. It is a START SCREEN, get it? That is like saying that the start menu was the main UI of Windows 7. It´s sad that idiots that this are the ones being taken seriously
    Reply