- From: Craddock, Michael P <michael.p.craddock@boeing.com>
- Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 16:53:56 -0600
- To: <gdeering@acslink.net.au>, "Doyle Burnett" <dburnett@sesa.org>, "Jens Meiert" <jens.meiert@erde3.com>, "W3C Web Content" <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Yes it is a usability issue. Certain conventions should not be deviated from and that is one of them. As for the infamous "Reset" button, I think an application program designer couldn't come up with another idea for a button after the Submit button. So web developers use it because it's 'there', without the forethought that no one in their right mind would decide to clear a form they just spent 15 minutes filling out. When in doubt, leave it out ;-) Thank you, michaelcraddock The Boeing Company multimediadesignengineer p 312.544.2931 | c 312.371.8134 | f 312.544.2082 | w www.boeing.com/ "doog si efil"-mirror me -----Original Message----- From: Geoff Deering [mailto:gdeering@acslink.net.au] Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 3:53 PM To: Doyle Burnett; Jens Meiert; W3C Web Content Subject: RE: HTML Techniques: 'tabindex' (Order of Buttons) I'm referring to what I think many users would experience, lets call it the "Homer Simpson" mode of clicking on web forms, I pay attention to filling in the form, and when it comes to clicking the submit button I change mode and unconsciously click the button on the foremost left, as I do 90% of the time. When it is the wrong choice, which I realise a second or two later, too late, "Doh!!". It's just human conditioning of habit, be it lack of conscious effort, whatever, but I think this condition happens frequently in human beings and maybe that can be identified and addressed in the design. If we were all very conscious and aware all the time it would not be an issue. It's a case of not properly cognising and presuming. I do it more frequently that I wish and often come to question my own level of intelligence:-))) I think this is part of usability; identifying habitual patterns, whether they be positive or negative and designing for them (where possible). Actually our good friend J Nielsen reported in one of his Alertboxes some years back that maybe the "Clear Form" button should be removed because users were mistakenly pressing it and clearing forms. I've done it. Geoff -----Original Message----- From: Doyle Burnett In response to the question of button order for form submission I agree that a standard may be useful. However, if they were tagged properly they'd tell the user what the given button would do (this is an easy fix). If we're talking submission buttons and their placement with regard to the order of importance I am not sure what the answer might be. I would assume that in a two button scenario (let's say, clear form and submit form), the submit would be the most important but it implies the last thing a user would do with regard to the form. I am not even close to saying, we need to tell authors/developers what order in which to place their submit buttons or clear buttons. But, were there to be a technique, I'd say the submit is last in the list as it's the very last thing a user would do and therefore in an appropriate order. My thoughts - Doyle
Received on Tuesday, 11 November 2003 17:55:57 UTC