Great article from Dominique Leca over on UX Magazine.

The Impossible Bloomberg Makeover

With some concepts from IDEO who submitted a redesign proposal back in 2007.

The comments are also interesting and focus on the fact that to an outsider Bloomberg might  ’look’ ugly, but to the actual ‘Bloomberg Users’ they are so focussed on the ‘data and information patterns on screen’ they almost don’t SEE the GUI.

“I have heard from traders that they don’t focus on the screens, but look for patterns within the movement and colours which then draws them to drill into specific stock. Having to relearn a system to discover the new patterns may be prohibitive for some.”
Alex Lee 

This is interesting from a number of angles, as I think good UI design becomes transparent to uses as it doesn’t interrupt their ‘flow state’ (this is also how I feel about really good typography… you shouldn’t really be aware of it, as you are focussed on the reading).

The comments around it being an expert/elite system are also valid… I have spoken to a lot of people who can’t get to grips with Adobe Photoshop and find it too ‘expert’. This makes the effort involved in learning the software become part of your skillset - this is true for any complex system. Most 3D software falls in this ‘expert/elite’ system group as it takes months if not years to learn the UI to a level where you can usefully implement the tool and focus on creating rather than the UI.

It is a goal-oriented design. Clearly it is not a human centered one.
Just like a violin. You have to spend some time (ed:before) playing a tune.
So actually, it’s not bad at all.

But I expect to see a disruptive financial information service which can defeat Bloomberg terminal soon. As you can see, there are many thing you can do much better.
Alf 

I like the comparison of learning a UI to learning an instrument - true we should always endeavour for a user-friendly design but exposing the complexities of an expert system (for use by experts) based around ‘Goal-Orientated’ and ‘Usage-Centred Design’ for instance the cockpit of a plane, beauty may well be in the eye or the beholder

Would you be able to pick the violin up and start playing the music in the picture?

Or fly this plane without thorough training?

Let’s shake things up a bit: Bring on the disruptive financial information service!

Jared M spool