Galleries and Templates

Not all users of applications that create documents are capable of building them completely from scratch. Most programs, however, offer atomic tools to users, the equivalent of hammers, saws, and chisels. That is fine for some users, but others require more: the equivalent of an unfinished table or chair that they can then sand and paint.

For example, consider a program that lets you configure your own personalized newspaper from information on the Internet. Some users will really appreciate being able to put sports at the top of page one. Most users, however, will probably want a more traditional view, with world news at the top and sports at the back. Even these more-traditional users will appreciate the fact that they can add their local news and news concerning topics of particular personal interest. They should be able to pick a premade newspaper and then make the few small changes to it needed to get their custom version. Constructing a whole newspaper from a blank slate would be an unpleasant task for all but the closet journalists among us.

In other words, users should be allowed to choose a starting design or document structure in any application from a gallery of possible designs, if they don't have the need or desire to create one from scratch.

DESIGN TIP 

Offer the user a gallery of good-solution templates.

Some programs already offer galleries of predesigned templates, but more should do the same. Blank slates intimidate most people, and users shouldn't have to deal with one if they don't want to. A gallery of basic designs is a fine solution.