Ribbon

The ribbon in Microsoft Office Word 2010

In GUI-based application software, a ribbon is an interface where a set of toolbars are placed on tabs in a tab bar. Recent releases of some Microsoft applications have popularized this form with a modular ribbon as their main interface. The Ribbon GUI provides the user interface of an application with a large toolbar filled with graphical representations of control elements which are grouped by different functionality. The Ribbon can also contain tabs to expose different sets of control elements, eliminating the need for many different icon-based tool bars. Some of these tabs are contextual and appear only when a certain type of object is selected, providing specific tools for items such as tables or images.

Other software developers

Since the introduction of the Ribbon GUI interface in Microsoft Office 2007 there has been an uptake of this type of interface in applications created by other developers, especially those creating tools for Microsoft related products. The Nielsen group published some examples in a 2008 GUI showcase report.^[1]

In 2008 OpenOffice.org started the project Renaissance to improve the user interface of OpenOffice. So far the prototypes of the project are frequently seen as similar to the ribbon interface, but this has resulted in some criticism from users.^[2]

Reaction

Microsoft Office's ribbon interface has met with mixed reactions. Redmondmag.com reported that power users feel the ribbons take "too much time and patience to learn."^[3] Richard Ericson from Computerworld noted that experienced users might find difficulties adapting to the new interface, and that some tasks take more key-presses or clicks to activate.^[4] Though the ribbon can be hidden by double-clicking on the open tab, PC World wrote that the ribbon interface crowds the Office work area, especially for notebook users;^[5] the customization options available in the original version didn't allow users to rearrange or remove the predefined commands, although it can be minimized.^[6] Others have called its large icons distracting.^[7] An online survey conducted by ExcelUser reports that a majority of respondents had a negative opinion of the change, with advanced users being "somewhat more negative" than intermediate users; the self-estimated reduction in productivity was an average of about 20%, and "about 35%" for people with a negative opinion.^[8]

A reason behind the negative reaction is Microsoft's decision to abandon backward-compatibility with previous versions and remove the traditional menu system, rather than leaving it as an option that could be activated if needed. Users of previous versions had to relearn the user interface in order to accomplish what they already knew how to do, and some configuration options were eliminated. ^[9] The decision to abolish menus has been likened to the Coca-Cola company's infamous New Coke campaign in its abandonment of the existing user base ^[10] Microsoft Office 2011 for the Macintosh, while employing the ribbon, also retains the menu system in the Mac menu bar.^[11]

Other users claim that once the new interface is learned, the average user can create "professional-looking documents faster".^[12] One study reported fairly good acceptance by users except highly experienced users and users of word processing applications with a classical WIMP interface, but was less convinced in terms of efficiency and organisation.^[13] Microsoft has released a series of small programs,^[14] help sheets,^[15] videos^[16] and add-ins^[17] to help users learn the new interface more quickly, and the Office 2010 version allows users to configure the Ribbon tabs and commands.^[18]

Controversy

Mike Gunderloy, a former Microsoft contractor, left the company and ceased using its software partially over his disagreement with the company's "sweeping land grab" including its attempt to patent the Ribbon interface.^[19] He refused to "contribut[e] to the eventual death of programming."^[20] He states: "Microsoft itself represents a grave threat to the future of software development through its increasing inclination to stifle competition through legal shenanigans."^[21][22]

"Tabbed toolbars", such as the one found in Allaire HomeSite (now branded Macromedia HomeSite), have been proposed as prior art for the Ribbon UI

"Tabbed toolbars" as found in the Lotus eSuite product from January 1999, also proposed as prior art for the Ribbon UI

Proponents of free software, such as KDE developer Jarosław Staniek^[23] has expressed beliefs that the patent cannot be acquired due to the ambiguity of prior art.^[23] As no patent has been acquired yet^[update], they assert that anyone who has not signed the license can legally implement the concept in their applications without having to conform to Microsoft's requirements.^[24] Staniek notes that the ribbon concept has historically appeared extensively as "tabbed toolbars" in applications such as Sausage Software's HotDog, Macromedia HomeSite, Dreamweaver and Borland Delphi.^[23] Lotus developed early ribbon UIs for its product eSuite. Screen shots are still available in an IBM redbook about eSuite (page 109ff).^[25]

See also

• Menu (computing)
• Ribbon Hero
• Ribbon Hero 2
• Tab (GUI)

References

External links

• Jensen Harris (2005–2008). "An Office User Interface Blog". Microsoft Developer Network. http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/pages/table-of-contents.aspx. Retrieved 2010-03-25.  – Extensive discussion of the UI design by Microsoft's Group Program Manager of the Office 2007 User Experience team.
• "MIX08 Microsoft Office 2007: The Story of the Ribbon". Microsoft MIX 08. 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl9kD693ie4. Retrieved 2010-06-17.  - Prototype sketches and design process.