Jef Raskin Professions : Computer Scientist Born : March 9, 1943 Died : February 26, 2005 Browse All Authors Top 20 quotes by Jef Raskin As far as the customer is concerned, the interface is the product. Jef Raskin design experience educational What I proposed was a computer that would be easy to use, mix text and graphics, and sell for about $1,000. Steve Jobs said that it was a crazy idea, that it would never sell, and we didn't want anything like it. He tried to shoot the project down. Jef Raskin crazy jobs ideas I am confident that we can do better than GUIs because the basic problem with them (and with the Linux and Unix interfaces) is that they ask a human being to do things that we know experimentally humans cannot do well. The question I asked myself is, given everything we know about how the human mind works, could we design a computer and computer software so that we can work with the least confusion and greatest efficiency? Jef Raskin design confusion mind An interface is humane if it is responsive to human needs and considerate of human frailties. Jef Raskin frailty considerate needs An unlimited-length file name is a file. The content of a file is its own best name. Jef Raskin length unlimited names If I had not studied music, there would be no Macintosh computers today. Jef Raskin computer would-be today If I am correct, the use of a product based on modelessness and monoty would soon become so habitual as to be nearly addictive, leading to a user population devoted to and loyal to the product. Jef Raskin population loyal use When you have to choose among methods, your locus of attention is drawn from the task and temporarily becomes the decision itself. Jef Raskin tasks decision attention If our field is "to advance", we must - without displacing creativity and aesthetics - make sure our terminology is clear. Jef Raskin creativity design fields Users do not care about what is inside the box, as long as the box does what they need done. Jef Raskin doe long needs Once the product's task is known, design the interface first; then implement to the interface design. Jef Raskin design tasks firsts A well-designed and humane interface does not have to be split into beginner and expert subsystems. Jef Raskin simplicity design experts What users want is convenience and results. Jef Raskin design results want A computer shall not harm your work or, through inaction, allow your work to come to harm. Jef Raskin inaction computer harm A computer shall not waste your time or require you to do more work than is strictly necessary. Jef Raskin computer waste Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining. Jef Raskin humor time funny I hate mice. The mouse involves you in arm motions that slow you down. I didn't want it on the Macintosh, but Jobs insisted. In those days, what he said went, good idea or not. Jef Raskin hate jobs ideas The system should treat all user input as sacred. Jef Raskin sacred input should Right now, computers, which are supposed to be our servant, are oppressing us. Jef Raskin classroom servant computer I am only a footnote, but proud of the footnote I have become. My subsequent work on eliciting principles and developing the theory of interface design, so that many people will be able to do what I did is probably also footnote-worthy. In looking back at this turn-of-the-century period, the rise of a worldwide network will be seen as the most significant part of the computer revolution. Jef Raskin design principles people Similar Authors Bill Joy computer-scientist Butler Lampson computer-scientist Brian Reid computer-scientist Brian Kernighan computer-scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum computer-scientist Andy Hertzfeld computer-scientist All Authors
