UI Theory: Speech Vs. Vision
LAW:
We talk faster than we write,
and we read faster than we listen.
COROLLARY:
We shout out known commands faster than we can click them,
but we visually absorb available commands faster than we can hear them.
CAVEAT:
We can write with more detail than we can speak.
We can listen with more comprehension than we can read.
EDUCATIONAL EXAMPLE:
Go tell some random person to do something on a computer.
Don’t do it yourself.
Don’t let them know in advance what you want them to do.
Notice how fast you realize they’re screwing up.
Notice how slow it is for you to correct them.
Notice how slow it is for them to absorb your corrections.
Notice how fast you sit down and do it yourself.
CONCLUSION:
The ideal interface will likely have us speaking at computers,
with them shooting responses back as fast as the eye can absorb.
Dan Kaminsky's Blog 