A key question for a UI: how expensive is the tool when it's wrong?

· Bits and Bobs 4/22/24

That is, when its suggestion is below the good-enough bar.

If it's a primary use case and a one-shot answer with no recourse to generate another one, it could be extremely expensive.

The user had to:

Think to use the tool

Launch the tool

Give it enough context on their goal

Wait for the answer

Evaluate the answer

That's a lot of wasted time if it ends up not being good enough!

But imagine it's a secondary use case.

You came to the tool for another primary use case, which works dependly.

Off to the side, you see a suggestion, perhaps a 4-up.

If one of the suggestions is good, you have a magical experience.

If the suggestions are not good, but they're easy to ignore or skim, then the cost is miniscule, just the flick of your eyes there and back.

This makes secondary use cases much more forgiving for low quality.

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