The+Ten+Minute+Rule

= = == //"Any system which cannot be well taught to a layman in// ten minutes//, by a tutor in the presence of a responding setup, is too complicated."// -- Ted Nelson (1) = = =What is the Ten Minute Rule?= toc

The //ten minute rule// states that a native system user should be able to use a program in a non-frustrating way to learn the basic tasks the program is intended to do.

The //ten minute rule// is a basis for interface design created by Ted Nelson in his book //dream machines//. In this novel, Nelson describes a "ten-minute system", which he feels is a goal which interface designers should pursue. This is a person-centric view, and stands in opposition to the computer-centric ones pushed by others of his age. To achieve this goal, he would suggest creating friendly graphical environments, rather than text based command lines. From his book: = = =**Limitations**=
 * || "It is because of my heartfelt belief in this kind of [interface] simplicity that I stress the creation of prefabricated environments, carefully tuned for easy use, rather than the creation of computer languages which must be learnt by the user" (2) ||  ||

However, the //ten-minute rule// does not apply to every technology. For instance, it would be almost impossible for an individual to learn how to operate an airplane or a car in ten minutes. Even though an airplane or a car has many features, it would be best if the user knows almost all of these features, so that he/she can handle the machine well. For these machines, it should take the user considerable time to learn the machine (ex. for airplane, users should go to pilot school), otherwise if the user uses the machine in the first ten minutes that he/she encountered it, it could be disastrous. (Benyon, 2005)

=Disambiguation=

This rule is not to be confused with the 10 //second// rule, which states that any item that lays on a floor for more than 10 seconds shall be considered inedible, but should be assumed good for human consumption up to and including 10 seconds of floor time.

//1 Computer Lib / Dream Machines//; Distributors, South Bend IN, 1974 2 [|Excerpt from Dream Machines] image: http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper275/stills/i87a3l22.jpg Benyon, David and Phil Turner, and Susan Turner. "Designing Interactive Systems (People, Activities, Contexts, Technologies)". 2005. Spain. Pearson Education Limited.