There are other ways to differentiate labels. For a data processing application (the context is important here), I recommend to show labels in smaller font size and in gray color. As a result, not only the labels are treated as visually distinct elements, but also the actual data stands out more. Because often the data *is* the label.
-- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 3:25 PM, Chauncey Wilson <[email protected]>wrote: > Hello Courtney, > > The colon issue is one of the classic debates in UI design and it has raged > since the early 1990s. > > I generally agree with Caroline, but if you have fields that are read-only > with no 3D appearance, the colon can serve as an indicator that some text > will follow. The colon serves to differentiate label from text (since in > some cases there may be no text by the label and the label will look like a > lost piece of text). > > Another consideration is whether you are following the particular style. I > believe that the Vista guidelines call for a colon so if you are following > Vista, you might want to follow that style. > > Chauncey > > > > > On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 12:55 PM, Jordan, Courtney <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > Could anyone help me on the subject of whether to use colons after field > > labels. I have found one accessibility paper and a few other > > not-so-respected sources that indicate that colons after field labels > > help screen reader users, as well as normal vision users, to expect an > > input field. However, after years of including colons after field > > labels, our copy dept now maintains that a colon is punctuation and > > shouldn't be included after field labels. I've also found Jarrett's, "No > > one cares about colons but UX people" and Luke W doesn't mention it in > > his book :(. Has anyone fought this battle before? Do you have any > > sources that you could point me to? > > > > Thanks in advance, > > Courtney Jordan > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
