Re: [kidsUI] Mapping concepts to software

["Ken Kahn" <kenkahn@toontalk.com>]

I believe it is better to stick with a single metaphor and not mix them.
Many adventure, action, and RPG game designers faced the same issues and
came up with creative solutions. The equivalent of those clickable icons
could be something in your backpack so you can quickly take them out and use
(or launch) them.

I was amused by the Doom as Process Manager but I'm not sure it makes sense.
You don't want to make it harder for the user. Just more fun, more
intuitive, and easier to master. Doom may do all this. But you want to do it
without sacrificing effectiveness much if at all. It would seem it might
take a while to find the process and kill it in this manager.

Best,

-ken

----- Original Message -----
From: Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>
To: <kidsui@seul.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 2:14 PM
Subject: [kidsUI] Mapping concepts to software


>
> On the drive home from work I was thinking about the idea of window
> manager/environment as background for agents and programs.  The idea of
> different rooms would map well onto workspaces, I think, with the pagers
> being represented by doors.  To maintain the room metaphor, you'd need to
> be able to place executable (clickable) icons for programs at random
places
> on the screen rather than on a specific area (the wharf, panel, dock,
> whatever).  Those placements would have to be maintained between sessions.
> They would also be specific to the workspace they appear in (and some
might
> be duplicated in more than one workspace).  I haven't gotten as far as
> thinking about window dressing yet.
>
> --
> Doug Loss            There's no trick to being a humorist
> dloss@suscom.net     when you have the whole government
> (570) 326-3987       working for you.
>                         Will Rogers
>
>