Re: When to use the word "button" -- ?

[Lauren <lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>]

It depends.  Do you have page links or menu links that may distract 
users who would not look at buttons? Is there a possibility that a user 
can do something wrong and the view with a button will not be available?

I like to account for the worst possibility and then balance the 
likelihood of that possibility against brevity of instructions. If there 
is little or no likelihood that there would be anything other than a 
button, then do not mention button.

A well-designed UI will not give the same name to more than one type of 
element.  For example, in my Thunderbird email window, I have a button, 
"Send," and also a menu link, "File > Send Now," that also shows me a 
shortcut key of "Ctrl+Return."  Since there is only one element called, 
"Send," I will not need the qualifier of "button" for me to understand 
what to click if I read the instructions.

Older UIs, UIs that have become a hodge podge over various versions, and 
poorly designed UIs often have issues that require clarity of what type 
of element to look for when clicking.  The instructions need to account 
for both UI design and user savvy. So, whether to include "button," it 
depends.



On 10/24/2012 8:13 AM, Craig Cardimon wrote: