The point is, that although like most good website features there are tutorials…but I go straight for it. Full steam ahead. I figure if I can’t figure it out, if it isn’t user friendly enough to work WITHOUT instructions, I am not interested.
I have created a fun, story-telling about my impending trip to Portland. It taught me to face my worries, touch the milestones, and move on… very, very helpful. And, fun.
http://prezi.com/fsecdubze5em/how-i-live/
This initial connection with media is called ‘onboarding’…. basically how DO you get your feet wet? Methodically following tutorials or diving in head-first? I guess you know my answer.
Here’s an interesting bloger describing user interface today…I’d follow her if I were you– Whitney Hess.
http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/10/06/onboarding-a-sidebar-in-designing-social-interfaces/
So, do let me know the answer to my question…. what do you think?
Related articles
- PowerPoint Killer Prezi Launches New Interface (techcrunch.com)
- Prezi for professional presentations? Yes! (prezischool.wordpress.com)
Architectural Research + Design 
I’m so glad you found my blog because I really like yours!! MM
Alexis, believe it or not, but Christina and I (founders of Prezi School) are just like you. we do not want to read manuals; we want a product to be user friendly enough to just use it. That being said, some features of any software, or the mere number of features, may prevent the easy access that we all want. In my opinion the answer to your question is 1) Yes, an instantly accessible user interface is a key point to modern software. 2) If the software is too complicated for that, the tutorials need to be short, sweet, to the point, and give the user a hand above “how to go from X to Z”. Like this free one on our site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUAr03zxXco
Thanks for reading our blog!