How to design a box?

Question

There is no official standard regarding the layout of the boxes , which displays credits of computer software and other information.

What should be useful in the box? And ... can I put an Easter egg in?

alt text http://www.seasip.info/Gem/History/gem2about.png

Answer 1

Take a look at a few examples about blocks:

• Software name
• Publisher / Author Name
• Copyright and licensing information.
• Version Information
• Good logo

Nowadays, it probably does not hurt to be able to directly go to the software website directly in the "About Me" field.

Microsoft User Guides for Windows Vista users generally have useful information about developing good user interfaces. I could not find the information related to the "About Boxes" fields, but the "Dialogs" section may be somewhat meaningful.

Answer 2

Usually I prefer to do the "O" tabs. The first tab usually displays information about the application (name, version, copyright, etc.). The second tab is usually a change log with the most recent changes at the top.

Answer 3

Legal wants to get its copyright and material, marketing will need their branding (although the user has already bought the product), the development team will want their names to be there in the liquid crystal, but what do users need?

• Application name and version number. Users may need this to troubleshoot, possibly when contacting technical support or using the knowledge base. Use the version number system so that all users must specify their assembly. A version number is also needed so that users can find out if they can upgrade.

• A brief description of what the application does (for example, "Photographer and Image Organizer"). Users often get software for which they cannot guess the target. "O" is a logical place to tell the user what the application is.

Place the above text in the upper corner of the About window. You have one OK button. Everything else that may be required by others in your company is really not of interest to the user, and everything can be in thin print.

You can also include a website or email for technical support if you can rely on it to be stable for many years, but usually users have it before going to the "About" field.

Easter eggs are great if you think you have an interest in your application and your users are inclined towards the defiant side of things. Just make sure that this is not something that can disturb the younger user (or future high-end developer, see http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2005/10/20/483041.aspx ).

Answer 4

The team at my workplace actually made the coolest thing about myself:

Each time you open it, it displays another simple game with developer photos. team (games with memory, tic-tac-toe, sudoku, etc.)

Answer 5

Regarding content About the page, this is the best place to get version / release information so you can offer convenient support.

I use mine as an abstract description and a link to legal pages and a credit page. If you have a website, its URL should also be there - perhaps make it available for your web browser browser on your large "About Company" page on your web server (do not launch a real browser, or the user simply left your application).

Make it enjoyable to read, but be brief. Avoid scrolling or swapping - with the exception of a completely different set of information screens.

In addition, let it be obvious and easy to fire.

In general, if you add an Easter egg to an application that is shipped to the Apple Store, you will need to uncover the sequence for Apple to “verify”; they promise to keep this sequence confidential. If they discover this later, and they return to them through forums, etc., they will automatically pull it out of the store.

Answer 6

I usually add the name, version, company copyright, contact information, license information. I also add various variables to solve problems. Winows version, servicepack, dll version, if I use critical dll, etc. Big application icon. Sometimes I add an easter egg or some keycombo that launches parts of the program for debugging and support.