There's also a third pattern - deletion with undo (as used on gmail). This combines immediacy with safety...
http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/googles_gmail_undo.php Perhaps that's your solution right there, and it avoids futzing around with a new term or icon for "instant-delete" which lets face it, isn't going to receive widespread adoption. Harry -- http://www.90percentofeverything.com On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 2:58 PM, Daniel <[email protected]> wrote: > There are two "Delete" patterns I have noticed out there: > > 1. - Immediate Deletion: As the name implies, the delete action takes > place immediately. There are no confirmation steps of any kind. > > 2. - Mediated Deletion: This type usually includes an intermediate > "page" or dialogue box that asks the user to "confirm" that they > indeed do want to delete the item along with very important pertinent > information associated with the delete action. > > The problem for me arises when we use the same label for both of > these different types of behaviors. > > In other words, nothing differentiates the different delete actions. > Both of them may simply say "Delete this XYZ" > > Has anyone here seen a label that provides the users some sort of > clue as to which action will take place? > > DISCLAIMER: > (In the interest of clarity and saving time...I don't want this > question to be confused with the closely related topic of whether > "Confirmation dialogs" or "confirmation pages" are necessary. > That's another question. > > For now I'd like to ask you to suspend your preference on whether > you think confirmation is needed or not and assume that the system > you are working on will have a "confirmation" step for some of the > delete actions. To complicate things, the system will ALSO use > Immediate Deletion. This way the problem is clear. Once again, this > is not a question of whether you think the choice to allow both types > of deletion is right or wrong. It's a question about labeling and > differentiating two different delete processes.) > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > 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
