Ever really thought
about input interfaces ? Well, I did, after drawing a few squares and circles
on a page to build a simple representation of a site structure for someone. I’ve
just started using Corel 12 (which is very cool, by the way, but not as cool as
I thought it was going to be – maybe I was expecting a draughtsman as
bonus content on the CD). The latest version of the magic software has what is
called “Smart Drawing tools”. It automatically converts rough drawn
shapes into perfect ones (squares, circles, triangles etc) on the fly. Thinking
“Whoa, that’s cool”, I started to sketch wildly with my mouse,
at first enjoying the effect. After a while however, I realised that it was
quicker to use the standard rectangle and circle tools to draw, so I was less
impressed…
The realisation got me
thinking though : Drawing is something we’re used to doing with a pen,
and I was being stupid trying to emulate the action with a mouse (even though I
think it’s pretty cool being able to sign my signature with IntelliMouse
perfection). Although not always, some interfaces have evolved for logical
reasons. I suspect that, until we can draw via visual cortex recognition, the
pen (or pencil, or brush) will stay with us…
After a while, I
remembered noticing one of our distributors introducing Wacom tablets, and I
rethought my thinking. Digital is better (or so we think that the moment), and
a digital pen would allow me to avoid paper. Combined with Corel’s smart
drawing tools, drawing flow charts and site maps / layouts can be elevated to a
new level of efficiency. So, I’m looking at ways to finance a pen and pad
(at least a small one) for myself…