Re: [Usability] Situations with Lack of Button Labels

[Jacob Beauregard <jake13jake comcast net>]

Well, in regards to the GIMP, if you're learning how to use the 
application, all those fractions of a second add up.

It's also odd that tooltips are being used both for labels and 
descriptions in GIMP. Generally they're only used for descriptions. 
Every button on the GIMP tools has its prospective label in its tooltip 
preceding the description.

Ex. "Scale Tool: Scale the layer, selection or path (Shift+T)"
The GIMP uses tooltips extremely well, throwing button shortcuts into 
the tooltips should be used in every application, but imo, I feel the 
GIMP relies on tooltips too heavily. I honestly don't feel the tooltip 
is the best alternative solution for a direct button label in the case 
where using direct button labels would lead to less than optimal screen 
utilization as well as information overload.

I'm suggesting a method that I've used in game menus (although I didn't 
exactly have tooltips), and that I have found is another alternative to 
the option of information overload in situations with a lot of buttons. 
I believe it would be better than using tooltips for prospective labels 
in the sense that, for one, it's more reactive; and secondly, a user 
would be able to scan all of the prospective labels in far less time as 
a result.

Calum Benson wrote:
> On 17 Jun 2008, at 08:16, Jacob Beauregard wrote:
>
> > I can understand why the GIMP wouldn't have button labels, it takes 
> > up more screen real estate than the GIMP would really be able to 
> > handle, but I can't understand the justification for Ekiga not having 
> > button labels. Can anyone clue me in? Does using tooltips exclusively 
> > when screen space isn't exactly limited justifiable? I've filed a bug 
> > for Ekiga, because I really don't believe it's justifiable, but I'm 
> > getting the whole why not stick with tooltips in response.
>
> FWIW, I agree about Ekikga... I don't see any compelling reason why 
> its buttons couldn't just be a regular toolbar across the top of the 
> window, which followed the global desktop setting for toolbar button 
> labelling by default. That setting could even be overridable in the 
> application as the HIG permits, and in 'text beside icons' mode, that 
> could mean no text at all if the author so desired.
>
> For your GIMP suggestion, what is the problem you are trying to solve? 
> Is it just that you have to wait a fraction of a second for the first 
> tooltip to appear, or something else?
>
> Cheeri,
> Calum.