Sweet Spot

One common feature I’ve noticed in certain types of software is the ability to select different levels of complexity for the preferences/settings pane.  Essentially, the application will assume you are a “beginner” until you specify that you would like access to the “expert” feature set.

 The problem is that there is no gradual transition into this elite class of user.   It is essentially a toggle switch between only the most basic program options and a plethora of choices that often leaves end-users lost.  A usage-based expansion of the options that are displayed would offer users access to options that affect the tasks they are trying to accomplish, while not overwhelming them with every single detail of how the program functions.

An example that comes to mind is my preferred bittorrent application, Azureus.  Azureus has the beginner-advanced selection mode when modifying the program’s settings.  There have been cases when the “beginner” settings have not sufficed to resolve issues I was facing.  Additionally, I “speak IT” and so I like to know what is running under the hood of my software.  However, I am by no means an expert on every aspect of how a BT application functions.  Therefore, it seems counter-intuitive that the application’s “expert” mode displays ALL of the advanced options of the program.  What if I’m a pro at networking and connection management, but I don’t understand much about file system structure?  The latter features are then likely to confuse me.

 What if, instead, the program assessed the tasks I was currently working on, and offered a display of only the options pertinent to those tasks?  For example, if one or several of my torrents return errors, the software could check to see if the tracker is using encryption.  If this is the case, the user could be alerted and the options pane could be adjusted to include settings that might lead to the resolution of this problem.

I can imagine several other scenarios where such a setup would be useful.  If the default target drive is full, then the user is given the list of options necessary to select a new default destination.

This eliminates the need for a user to wade through a sea of options trying to find the right checkbox or radiobutton to enable or disable a feature that may be causing problems.  While I think that this could possibly address many usability issues regarding complex software, some critical elements would be required.

First, the interface modifications must avoid being invasive.  If there is a steep learning curve, use would never be adopted.  Such clever features would quickly fall out of frame, just like the “Daily Tip at Startup” every user loves to hate.  When accessing software, users are often trying to accomplish something on a deadline, and therefore do not wish to be hounded constantly by the application.

Second, it is critical that user’s are not impeded.  Some individuals are experts on most aspects of bittorrent applications, and should therefore be able to view the advanced options dialogues normally.  That being said, such a mechanism would serve as a supplement to, rather than a replacement of, the current methodologies in place.

Overall, I feel a software application that offers you more choices only as you begin to experiment more and perform different tasks would lessen learning curves and improve a casual user’s ability to resolve problems.  Often a user has an idea of what the answer is, they just can’t get the software application to ask the right question.  This idea would allow the software to narrow down the pool of potential questions significantly.