Re: [Usability] Re: Button ordering

[Thomas Broyer <tbroyer ltgt net>]

[Sorry, posted only to gtk-devel-list, adding usability and gnome-hackers]

Le 2001-11-03 07:29, Joel Becker a écrit :
> 	Ok, we've been knocking this around by me, and I have to say,
> I've come to a conclusion I "hate".  Here are our options:
> 
> (a) The current Windows/GTK+ Style
> 
> |                                                              |
> |                                        [   OK   ] [ Cancel ] | 
> `--------------------------------------------------------------'
> 
> (b) The Mac Style
> 
> |                                                              |
> |                                        [ Cancel ] [   OK   ] | 
> `--------------------------------------------------------------'
> 
> (c) The OS/2 style (reverse Mac)
> 
> |                                                              |
> | [   OK   ] [ Cancel ]                                        | 
> `--------------------------------------------------------------'
> 
> 	Before we tackle the "is the change worth it?" question, let's
> explore the UI principles we're looking at.
> 	One of the problems non-hacker users have is hitting things with
> the mouse.  That's why UI design always specifies having mouse-able
> things near the edge, if possible.  In the case of these buttons, the
> default button, which the user is most likely to want, should be near
> the edge.  This is the most damning argument against (a), the Windows
> style.  The "OK" button is somewhere in the middle of the dialog.  This
> doesn't lend to a user finding or using it.
> 	Add to that the fact that as buttons are added, the "OK" button
> *moves*!  This is terrible even for "power" users, who often put their
> mouse in the right place before the dialog is done drawing.  If the "OK"
> button is in the same place, this works fine.  In style (a), the "OK"
> button could be anywhere from the left edge to the second from the
> right, depending on how many buttons there are.
> 	Both (b) and (c) have the default button on the edge, so they
> satisfy that condition.  Instinctively, I prefer the left-justified (c).
> I'm not sure why.  I think it has to do with my language-oriented
> left-to-right bias.  I feel the most important item is on the left (the
> "first" item), so I prefer my button on the left.

I read from left to right and top to bottom.
As pointed by many ergonomy/usability researches, I tend to skim through
from top-left to bottom-right, not taking much attention to what's on the
two other corners.
So I eliminate (c).
Reading line by line from left to right, I expect the "OK" button to be the
first in the row.

I disagree with the argument about "where to place the mouse pointer before
something shows up" because either you already know what's the opening
dialog and it's layout, so you can put the pointer at the "right" place, or
you don't know the dialog and won't skim through it by read it carefully,
then decide where to click.

Tom.
my 2 cents

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