Put The Solution At The Problem

A user interface rule: Put the solution, or at least a description of it and related links, right next to the problem itself.

For example, a given folder on a Windows server only had "Folder" listed when I right-clicked and selected "New". Normally you see a list of applications, such as NotePad to create a text file in the given folder. After Googling around, it turned out some oddity to do with permissions was preventing a normal list of options (even though I could paste and change new files there).

Ideally, the "New" option would have a "More Info" or "Why you don't see more options" menu item to diagnose and/or explain why no applications are listed.

Similarly, greyed-out options can be a hair puller because grey-ness itself does not tell us why it's gray. Another approach should be used.

One should NOT have to go somewhere else, such as to a general help utility, to get more info on an option with problems or unnatural state. There should be a link on or near the problem thing.

Another example is a message that says something like "This operation cannot be performed because X is currently open". Typically one had to go back to the document or record and close the bugger and then retry the operation. I once encountered and app that gave me an option of closing X. They PutTheSolutionAtTheProblem.

 . --------------------------------------
 . Operation cannot be performed because 
 . document X is currently open.
 .
 .    [Save & Close X]     [Cancel]
 .
 . -------------------------------------- 

(Actually there are sometimes 3 options: Save and close, close X without saving, and cancel the current operation. But KISS may dictate having only two, depending on the application and usage patterns.)

I once sat in an office chair that followed this principle. It had a slide-out card near the adjustment knobs with brief instructions for the knobs.

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