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Zip, archive, package or compress? Help!
As part of the 100 paper cuts project that we are running for the n... we are focussing on small usability problems that, if fixed, will make the Ubuntu desktop experience feel smoother, safer, better.
The developers are helping us fix them but we could do with usability and design input to help suggest the fixes.
Here is an example:
So, usability experts, can you please help me?
To 'zip' or 'archive' is to 'compress and package'*, no? Anyone got any data on what people are actually trying to do when they start looking for 'zip'?
If we make it 'Compress' and then rather than 'Open with Archive Manager' just provide the option to 'Expand' how confident can we be? Is there a quick way we can do a little test?
I have mocked up a screen, can you please show it to one (or more if you have time) person who uses a computer and isn't a developer and see what they make of the options on the menu? Simply ask them to tell you what each item on the menu does.
Thank you!
Oh, and if you don't fancy this bug, there are plenty of others.
Original post available here.
*For the moment, let's set to one side the fact that package is a special word in Linux.
The developers are helping us fix them but we could do with usability and design input to help suggest the fixes.
Here is an example:
A new user thinks "I need to create a zip file", and doesn't know how to do it. If you don't know that a zip file is an "archive", which many new users do not, then it's very difficult to tell how to create one. "Create archive" on the Nautilus context menu, "Archive Manager" in the Applications menu, etc, are all meaningless. (This happened to me today when someone I know rang me for technical support to ask how to create a zip file, and when I explained how, he said "what's an archive?")Full details here.
So, usability experts, can you please help me?
To 'zip' or 'archive' is to 'compress and package'*, no? Anyone got any data on what people are actually trying to do when they start looking for 'zip'?
If we make it 'Compress' and then rather than 'Open with Archive Manager' just provide the option to 'Expand' how confident can we be? Is there a quick way we can do a little test?
I have mocked up a screen, can you please show it to one (or more if you have time) person who uses a computer and isn't a developer and see what they make of the options on the menu? Simply ask them to tell you what each item on the menu does.
Thank you!
Oh, and if you don't fancy this bug, there are plenty of others.
Original post available here.
*For the moment, let's set to one side the fact that package is a special word in Linux.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Calum Benson on September 15, 2009 at 12:14pm - Note that in Snow Leopard, OS X has switched to using "Compress" instead of "Create Archive". On the face of it, this seems like the best term to me, since "archive" also has backup-related connotations that don't (necessarily) imply that any compression takes place at all.
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Comment by Scott Ritchie on June 28, 2009 at 8:04pm - Ivanka, why does your mockup include the rather ungrammatical "delete to trash" ?
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Comment by Brooke Dukes on June 27, 2009 at 6:43am -
I would say that because Windows uses "zip" as well as this being the first file format I heard of that's the one I'm personally most comfortable with. That being said, zip does tend to mean to "compress" at least in my experience. Once I became more proficient in Mac OS X I noticed they use "archive" this at first was confusing to me but now I'm used to it.
I would agree with the above responses that "compress" may be the best option, it is also a great option for Ubuntu (in my humble opinion) because it stays away from the terms "the other guys" are using. As well as (what you mentioned above) being able to use "expand" to un-compress the file(s).
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Comment by Yann Lossouarn on June 24, 2009 at 8:36am
- @Josian : AFAIK, Apple does not use Compress, but Create archive... E.g. : http://images.apple.com/pro/tips/images/zip.jpg
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Comment by Ivanka Majic on June 23, 2009 at 9:18am - Thank you both! About to update mock-up and post for new test.
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Comment by Craig Melbourne on June 22, 2009 at 8:10pm
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Hi Ivanka, I just ran a quick 'what would you expect' straw poll against the terms zip, archive, compress. All partcipants we're confident computer users: roughly 75% Windows, 25% Mac. A quick summary of the findings.
Quick breakdown:
Zip - all participants expected this to compress the size of a (bunch of) file(s). All user has previous experience with the term
Archive - mixed responses with a lot of 'I'm guessing it does...'. Only 1 participant mentioned compressing files as part of the feature.
Compress - all users got this straight away
I also asked under what circumstance thay would use a compress/zip tool. Sending large files across email, networks was the most frequentley mentioned. As a UX person the 'why people do this' would be the focus of my research.
Hope this helps
Craig
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Comment by Josiah Ritchie on June 22, 2009 at 4:56pm
- Not that Macs do everything right, but Compress is the word used in a mac context and decompressing it is simply done by double clicking on it. I find this pretty comfortable.
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