For example, a subset of a popular game is nice to have in a Sidebar, but it's better if there is live information, like a regularly updated scoreboard, or live updates about the game. Fun gadgets are an exception but can be made more interesting if live data is also added. Information that is static for more than a day makes a gadget dull.Ī user looks to a gadget to see interesting things that are active. Gadgets should display only information that changes regularly, such as live feeds, news updates, daily weather, battery status, and so on.
Let's take a closer look at what each of these really means. Information in the gadget window should satisfy the following rules: A gadget should show only data suitable for that task and that task only. When designing a gadget, keep in mind that a gadget should have a small set of goals relevant to the specific task. A good idea and a great implementation with an average user interface cannot stand up to the competition (see Figure 3.1).įigure 3.2 A gadget's design is an important aspect of development. Each of these elements is equally important. This means you need to pay attention to the quality of icons, images, text, background, and interaction.
So, offering the set of features a user critically needs is an important factor. Thousands of other gadgets, freely available online, will compete for the same screen space. It can have-at the most-five or six gadgets at any particular time.
#VISTA GAGET WINDOWS#
Justify the space-The Windows Vista Sidebar is neither very tall nor wide.This chapter discusses the visual theme, how the gadget can look like a part of Windows Vista, and the overall user experience.īefore you start, keep these two things in mind: Design starts with the factors that determine the type of gadget you want to develop, the information it will display, the user interface, the usage pattern, and the behavior of a gadget.ĭesign includes the dimensions, the images, the text, and the "look and feel." You also decide how the gadget interacts with the user and how it interacts with the system. This chapter is about gadget design and user interface. "You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.".Creating Vista Gadgets: Using HTML, CSS and JavaScript with Examples in RSS, Ajax, ActiveX (COM) and Silverlight