Re: User Experience Engineering

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi, Linda (et al.):

> I would greatly encourage the project to focus on the user interface
> and the user experience if this is to catch on in a large way.

I totally agree: if Lilypond is to "catch on in a large way" (with  
the less-geeky public), then the UI has to be vastly improved.  
However, I would much rather the team continue to improve the engine  
-- as they have been -- rather than focus on a market already  
dominated (and saturated) by other "more standard" apps.

But of course, that's one of the great things about open source  
software: if someone feels so inclined, they can do something just  
like you're suggesting. In other words, feel free to:
    (a) Build a "great" user interface yourself; or,
    (b) Sponsor (i.e., hire) someone else to do it.

I must also second Rick's statement

> I stopped using GUI based notation simply because I am, I estimate,
> about 50 times more productive with lilypond.

For me, I would say I've seen 15-20x increase in productivity.
(And for the record, I *taught* Finale to undergraduates, so it  
wasn't from a lack of ability on other applications...)

Best regards,
Kieren.