@ meow461
The fact is that the KPA works the way you expect, although you don't know it yet. Let me clarify this for you:
All the examples you mention in your post refer to navigating within a screen. However, in "play" mode, i.e. when you see only one rig on the KPA screen, there's nothing to navigate. So the UP and DOWN buttons act as + and - respectively.
In "browse" mode you have 8 rigs on the KPA screen and the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT buttons on the RIG "cross" let you physically move between those rigs, exactly as you expected.
I can't think of anything more intuitive.
Hope that helps.
Salut!
Thanks for exposing your point of view. I think we are having here a very important discussion (in my experience of designing computer graphical user interfaces, I must mention this is exactly the kind of discussions we had, except of course it was within the design team and not between the final users -- but let's hope it is not too late for the KPA).
First, thanks for the "The fact is that the KPA works the way you expect, although you don't know it yet." introduction. This is a political, and therefore non technical statement.
Then I must correct you about the examples I took. Most of them do not refer about navigating within a screen.
On my nokia phone (we spent a lot of time examining their products, and let me assure you they know a lot about designing UI), the "contact" screen displays just one contact as expected, with the name (LARGE) and the corresponding phone number (smaller), and two soft buttons, "Details" or "Exit". Note that in all screens of the UI, "Exit" is always the right button, and whatever screen is displayed in the whole UI, there is just one button which is used to call someone, and it is the key with the green phone icon. (And yes, you have guessed, my phone is ten years old, but, because of this and its characteristics: small non touch alphanumeric screen, and about 20 buttons, it is very close to the KPA in terms of designing a user interface). Of course, the UP takes me to the previous contact in alphabetic order, the down to the next contact in alphabetic order, as I already said.
On my synth, I face a similar situation. The screen displays only preset at a time (with its bank/patch number, the soft buttons identifications, etc). But there again, I can navigate easily. And the way I expect. However, there is also a "search" screen, which displays 5 presets (I should say "rigs" because presets include effects), and of course I can navigate here as I expect. In both modes, the same keys perform the same operations.
Now, you are trying to sell me the following argument :
- here is some important operation (you agree that switching rig is an important operation, perhaps the most important operation in the KPA)
- there is a mode where 8 different rigs are displayed. In this mode, the UP key goes to a previous rig (in alphabetical order), and the DOWN key goes to a following rig.
- there is another mode : the current rig is displayed. In this mode, the UP key goes to a next rig (in alphabetical order), and the DOWN key goes to a previous rig.
- you should be happy with that.
So basically, for the same function, there are two cases of keys working in the opposite way. In mode "A", "UP" goes to a previous rig and "DOWN" to a next one, and in mode "B", "UP" goes to a next one and "DOWN" to a previous one.
I'm sorry, I do not buy that.
I do agree that selecting the wrong ring is not a big deal (except maybe in a live situation). But what if I tell you : in mode "A", "UP" saves the rig and "DOWN" deletes it ; and in mode "B", "UP" deletes it, and "DOWN" saves it, and it is very convenient, and I can't think of anything more intuitive. Would you be happy? Would you always remember what to do, whatever the stress of the situation is ?
I repeat that a user needs to rely on a consistent interface. Same key, similar behaviour. Consistency is the first basis of the notion "user friendly" feeling. Second is similarity with known devices: if some operation looks like an operation that exists in a very common apparatus, it should behave the same. Imagine you had two cars of different brands. In one, you turn to the right by turning the steering wheel clockwise. In the other, turning the steering wheel clockwise makes the car turn to the left. Would you like that ? I don't. I whish to apply with the KPA reflexes I have learned with other devices.
I do not feel it is necessary to elaborate much more on the subject. We have here facts :
- in some cases, the UI buttons do not act in a consistent way.
- in some cases, the UI acts in a way which differ from most devices we use in everyday life.
I express my concern about it, because, while I consider this just as a minor inconvenient, I think it globally harms the KPA.
Well - best regards.
Jean-Jacques.