Description Nick Edgar 2001-10-10 22:20:31 EDT

The task view UI for priorities is clunky.
- the numbers 1/2/3 for high/normal/low priority are confusing
- the colours on the different numbers are gratuitous and have no intuitive meaning:
	- pink is used for high
	- gold for normal
	- turquoise for low
- user does not know that 2 means normal, or that 3 means high;  wouldn't priority one for high be more intuitive?
- when you click to edit the priority, a combobox appears using the words high / normal / low
	- but you have to do another click, on the down arrow, to see the whole list

By contrast, in MS Outlook 97,
- if you double click on a task, you can change its priority in a drop-down combobox, using only the words low / normal / high
- if you configure it to show the priority in the table (View / Show fields), it adds a column showing the priorities,
  indicated as follows:
	- low: a blue down arrow  (more intuitive: blue for cold; down arrow for low, rather than number)
	- normal: blank  (no clutter for regular case)
	- high: a red exclamation point  (more intuitive: red for hot; exclamation point is standard warning sign)
- if you click on the priority, a combobox appears (already dropped down, not requiring an extra click) showing
  Low / Normal / High, with the corresponding icons to the left of the labels, letting the user associate them better


NOTES:

NE (12/11/00 11:36:18 AM) Also, the column heading C for complete is non-intuitive.  Why not show a check box?

NE (12/11/00 11:37:01 AM)
	Note: Outlook has many other fields to describe a task, lets you configure which ones are visible in the task view,
	and even lets you add your own fields.

NE (5/2/01 9:22:15 PM)
	Could possibly have a field editor which uses a popup menu, showing both icon and text for priorities.