Experiments · EXP-004
Measuring an interface before redesigning it
Before redesigning the Experience Creator editor, its current state was measured at three resolutions and compared with a mockup. The measurement is real; the comparison is against a proposal, not against the final product.
Motivation
The editor had grown to show dozens of controls at once. Instead of redesigning it by intuition, observable measures and a script that computes them were defined, so that the redesign had a criterion before it started (M4) and could be validated as it progressed (F6).
Measures
| Measure | 1280×720 current | proposal | 1920×1080 current | proposal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden pixels in the top bar | 388 | 0 | 180 | 0 |
| Visible controls | 74 | 24 | 82 | 27 |
| Controls under 44 px | 74 | 1 | 81 | 1 |
| Viewport area | 40.7% | 40.2% | 42.2% | 44.5% |
R1Measured result
At 1280×720, the editor showed 74 visible controls, all below the 44 px touch size, and hid 388 pixels of its top bar. The proposed mockup cuts visible controls to 24 without noticeably reducing the working area.
Limitations
- The comparison is against a mockup. Measuring the shell as implemented is still pending.
- Fewer visible controls does not mean a better interface; that requires timed tasks with people.