From GUI Bloopers, by Jeff Johnson (Morgan Kaufman Publishers, 2000). Used without permission.
Here, the graphical version of the interface closely mirrors the textual version
Why is this wrong?
What's right about this?
Fields are given default values where possible, allowing the user to skip data entry where the intended value matches the default. Contrast this with the TTY-GUI requirement of entering every field into a text box, and where the path of least resistance is to use the TAB key to move between fields sequentially.
The user is also able to "see and point" to the correct data values, through the use of radio buttons, increment buttons, and drop-down menus In this way, the user gains an advantage over the text-mode model where a user was required to remember data and its proper format (that's bad!), and type it in the exact same format -- it's also more like Direct Manipulation.