Re: Regarding the "Next" button

Subject: Re: Regarding the "Next" button
From: Phil Snow Leopard <philstokes03 -at- googlemail -dot- com>
To: "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:45:08 +0700

In your case:

1. Clutter. You already said the screen 'has a lot going on'

2. The legend is more cognitively complex than that which it's trying to explain. If they can't understand the instruction, they won't understand the legend.

Joyce - we're talking about finding a element on a screen within a fixed boundary â a single step that relies primarily on visual identification. Learning theory in this context is, to my mind, the application of a theory when one isn't needed. It's like having a label in the middle of your desk telling the user where the corners can be found.


P

On 13 Mar 2012, at 00:11, Cardimon, Craig wrote:

> Good question. Does a legend have its own drawbacks?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joyce -dot- Fetterman -at- L-3com -dot- com [mailto:Joyce -dot- Fetterman -at- L-3com -dot- com]
> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 1:05 PM
> To: Phil Snow Leopard; Cardimon, Craig
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Regarding the "Next" button
>
> Phil, I think your reply doesn't take into consideration that users learn in different ways. Some will click away until they get what they want. Others will read each instruction first. Some will call support and wait 45 minutes rather than even read the help. And some will spend an inordinate amount of time seeking answers or flailing about rather than admit that they don't know what to do next.
>
> A simple legend, placed appropriately, doesn't impede more experienced users and it may help a beginner. What's the harm in providing it?
>
> Joyce
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+joyce -dot- fetterman=l-3com -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+joyce -dot- fetterman=l-3com -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Phil Snow Leopard
> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 12:56 PM
> To: Cardimon, Craig
> Cc: 'techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com'
> Subject: Re: Regarding the "Next" button
>
> No, IMO it should be intuitively obvious from the design of the elements. That kind of legend is what I call 'teacher-talk'. Users just want to get the job done. Generally, they don't want to be taught, or waste time learning your information architecture. Users just want to get the task done.
>
>
> On 12 Mar 2012, at 23:50, Cardimon, Craig wrote:
>
>> Should I have a legend somewhere that says just button are labeled Back, Cancel, and Next?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Phil Snow Leopard [mailto:philstokes03 -at- googlemail -dot- com]
>> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 12:35 PM
>> To: Cardimon, Craig
>> Cc: 'Brian -dot- Henderson -at- mitchell1 -dot- com'; 'techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com'
>> Subject: Re: Regarding the "Next" button
>>
>> There you go then. There's no need to differentiate the elements.
>>
>> :)
>> On 12 Mar 2012, at 23:31, Cardimon, Craig wrote:
>>
>>> Only buttons are labeled "Next."
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
>>> Behalf Of Phil Snow Leopard
>>> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 12:32 PM
>>> To: Brian -dot- Henderson -at- mitchell1 -dot- com
>>> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>> Subject: Re: Regarding the "Next" button
>>>
>>> I noted that he said they had both types of elements in the UI, but I didn't see him say that both elements had "next" labels.
>>>
>>> Where was that?
>>> On 12 Mar 2012, at 23:23, <Brian -dot- Henderson -at- mitchell1 -dot- com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Here's the problem, though. Craig has said that they actually DO
>>>> have both links and buttons on the same screen (Craig, unless
>>>> there's a really good reason for that, you need to see if you can
>>>> get that changed).
>>>>
>>>> If I were the user, my first instinct would be that both "Nexts"
>>>> would do the same thing. But, I would also have in the back of my
>>>> mind that they might not. That little tiny bit of confusion, I
>>>> think, warrants some sort of acknowledgement. If for no other reason
>>>> than to indicate to your users that you've done it on purpose (and
>>>> that maybe your design team isn't a bunch of nitwits).
>>>>
>>>> -BH
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Phil Snow Leopard
>>>>
>>>> It seems unnecessary to me regardless of whether you have links and
>>>> buttons on the same page. If your audience won't be able to visually
>>>> identify 'Next' on the interface easily, I doubt adding the word
>>>> 'button' or 'hyperlink' is going to do anything to help that.
>>>>
>>>> The only case I can see for including the control word is if there
>>>> were two things on the same screen (one button, one hyperlink) that
>>>> were both labelled 'Next' (in which case, as Fred said, you have
>>>> deeper problems that need sorting out). Otherwise, it's just unnecessary verbiage.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>> Phil Stokes
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>>
>> Information contained in this e-mail transmission is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, do not read, distribute or reproduce this transmission (including any attachments). If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or email reply.
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
>
> Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
>
> http://bit.ly/doc-to-help
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> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Brian.Henderson
Re: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Phil Snow Leopard
RE: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Cardimon, Craig
Re: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Phil Snow Leopard
RE: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Cardimon, Craig
Re: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Phil Snow Leopard
RE: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Joyce . Fetterman
RE: Regarding the "Next" button: From: Cardimon, Craig

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