Re: [Usability] media player button recommendations

[David Christian Berg <david sipsolutions net>]

On So, 2004-09-26 at 00:17 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> On Tue, 21 Sep 2004, Colin Walters wrote:
> 
> > Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 21:49:54 -0400
> > From: Colin Walters <walters verbum org>
> > To: usability gnome org
> > Subject: [Usability] media player button recommendations
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I'm wondering about this new recommendation in the HIG 2.0:
> > http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/diff-from-1.0/toolbars.html#toolbars-media
> >
> > A lot of the HIG has explanation and justification throughout, but this
> > section is lacking that a bit.  I don't think the recommendation is bad,
> > but I'd just like a bit of insight into the thoughts behind it.
> 
> This was discussed last week, see this post in the mailing list archives
> for more discussion
> 
> http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2004-September/msg00093.html
> 
> before being discussed on this list it was also discussed on Footnotes
> http://gnomedesktop.org/article.php?sid=1959&mode=nested&order=0&thold=-1
> 
> It not considered to be a good idea to overload a button with
> two different bits of functionality, or to have widgets change their
> function (or move or hide).
> 
> Some people do not see that the play and pause buttons need to be
> seperate but some do and the guidelines recommend the solution that is
> potentially less confusing.

Hmm, just thought about it... couldn't the play button be a toggle
button? That'd make sense, wouldn't it? Other than that: If the image
changes there's nothing wrong with one button.. that's what you know
from "real life".
Anyway... been discussed before

David