On 11 Jan 2007, at 12:53:59, James Crooke wrote:
So what does everyone think would suit a clickable button,
(default) arrow
cursor or finger-pointer cursor?
(For now, let's forget the fact that Microsoft invented the
convention of a
default arrow and that we all tend to give in to the default
attributes to
prevent breaking conventions.)
What makes you think MS invented it? On my Mac, the cursor remains in
the default state (arrow) when over a button. This has been the case
since I started using Macs in the early 90s. The behaviour is the
same in all applications, and is in accordance with the Apple Human
Interface Guidelines [1].
When using a site which turns the cursor to the link-style cursor
when hovering over a button, I would tend to assume that it wasn't a
button (which causes an action [2]) but a hyperlink (which merely
causes navigation) styled to look like a button. Links and buttons
aren't the same thing, in terms of the fundamental principles of UI
design, which is why they give different feedback.
If your buttons are just links that look like buttons, then set the
cursor to the link-style cursor; if they are action buttons, then
leave them with the default cursor. The conventions were established
for a reason.
If users are confused as to where or how to click on a site, that
would suggest to me that the design has deeper problems than can be
fixed by mucking about with the default behaviour of the system.
There's no reason that graphic design can't enhance usability, but if
it hinders it, it becomes a problem.
Regards,
Nick.
[1] <http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/
Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGCursors/chapter_15_section_2.html#//
apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40002724-TPXREF101>
[2] <http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/
Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGControls/chapter_18_section_2.html#//
apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30000359-TPXREF186>
--
Nick Fitzsimons
http://www.nickfitz.co.uk/
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