[kepler-dev] Simple Search

[Laura L. Downey]

See comments below.....

Laura L. Downey
Senior Usability Engineer
LTER Network Office
Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
505.277.3157 phone
505.277-2541 fax
ldowney at lternet.edu
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Hi Shawn -

I concur with your views on the "source" button - that's an unusual word 
for a search panel - although the "preferences" alternatives may be too 
indirect. I think we need to make the user aware "up front" that there 
is a choice of locations that may be searched, otherwise they may miss 
this point and not find what they need. Any other wording suggestions, 
anyone?

[LLD>] sources is used because it is linked to the data sources dialog and
data sources was a bit long -- once the user goes there one time they will
then know what the word sources means.  We could consider the word
'configure' but by choosing sources I'm trying to reinforce "data sources"
that is used in the dialog the button is connected to.  And yes it is
important the user know up front that they can configure data sources to be
searched which is why this is there.  And as Matt pointed out we will be
doing something very similar for the sources for actor search (adding the
MoML type etc.).  

[LLD>] We don't currently have a global preferences or configuration section
so that is another reason I didn't break this off to something like that.
However even if we did, this sources config is so specific to search for
data (and there will be something specific for search for actors) that I
think it needs to be with the collection of things related to search so that
the user doesn't have to go looking for some not so prominent global
preferences dialog.

I'd be inclined to just go with Laura's design with regard to the labels 
"go" vs. "search" etc, because the buttons need to be a uniform size 
anyway - we don't gain anything by having a shorter label ("go") - it 
doesn't allow us to have a narrower button, since we need to maintain 
consistency. Based on that criterion, it then comes down to a question 
of who prefers which word... which isn't really worth spending our 
valuable time debating.

Redundancy is sometimes a good thing for reinforcement purposes. 
Remember the old rule of public speaking - "Tell 'em what you're *gonna* 
tell 'em; then *tell* 'em; then tell 'em what you *told* 'em"
:o)
 
[LLD>] couldn't have said it better myself Matthew ;-)  And I'll add that
consistency is the key here and making sure not to use the totally incorrect
word.  The HCI research shows that people generally only agree about 10% of
the time on what the one exact "right" word should be, but they generally
agree on something that is totally confusing.  I'd also point out that the
difference between go and search is probably not some major usability issue
to worry about since we have plenty of bigger issues to deal with.