I'd say use buttons if it something you WANT the User to do vs. links for things Users CAN do. Also there should be primary and secondary level buttons with only one primary button per functional area - the acion you REALLY want the User to chose... The "SUBMIT ORDER" comes to mind.
Jon Karpoff Senior Partner Director User Experience Office: 1-212-237-5516 Cell: 1-914-419-4151 Email: [email protected] We few, we happy few 636 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036. Shivan Kannan <shivan.kan...@gm ail.com> To Sent by: [email protected] discuss-boun...@l cc ists.interactiond esigners.com Subject Re: [IxDA Discuss] Usability of Buttons versus Links for Navigation 07/29/09 10:55 AM Hi If you see gmail interface, they have a 'Back to Inbox' text link unlike its adjacent buttons. This is to make the back more prominent for the user and also that it is in blue underlined (a convention for links). You can use the button if that is the only button in that row or column, or you could use the blue underlined link as gmail has. The point is to show the difference in appearance thereby making it stand out from the other trigers (links). The reason others suggested you to change the link to a button may be because you already have several similar looking links within the article. Hence to make the 'BACK' look different from them, button is advisable. >From a functionality point of view, link or button doesn't matter much. From a usability point of view, a button will definitely stand out from a number of links on the same page. -- Shivan Kannan %u2605 uidude.com %u2605 uidude.wordpress.com %u2605 twit...@uidude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44185 ________________________________________________________________ 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 Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer does not consent to email or messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of the sender's company shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. For more information on WPP's business ethical standards and corporate responsibility policies, please refer to WPP's website at http://www.wpp.com/WPP/About/ ________________________________________________________________ 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
