Whatever else, when dealing with non-computer-literate persons, I believe that EACH visual icon __must__ universally convey only a __single__ meaning.
That is why I find the buttons in the Control Panel inconsistent. -------- Within the sub-functions, the 'X' button (labeled 'Cancel') appears to convey the concept: "Throw away whatever it is that you have done." I personally would wish this button to be modal - and have it be 'grayed out' in the header until the kid makes a change. [I would expect a kid to understand (for 'X'): "I'm through. Let me out of here, but wipe clean all materials that I worked with".] Within the sub-functions, slightly more problematic is the 'check' button (I would label it 'Apply') which appears to convey the concept: "I approve.". I personally would wish this button to be modal - and have it be 'grayed out' in the header until the kid makes a change. [I would expect a kid to understand (for 'check'): "I'm done. Let me out of here, as soon as you have changed the settings within the system to what I've specified here".] That leaves the situation where the subfunction was called to look at the values, not to change them. I personally would want the sub-functions to have a (third) 'left-pointing triangle' button (labeled 'Back') in the header, active to begin with. This button would be modal - when any change gets made using the facilities of the sub-function, the 'Back' button gets 'grayed out', but the 'X' and 'check' buttons get activated. [I would expect a kid to understand (for 'left-pointing triangle'): "I didn't do anything. Let me out of here." ] -------- This is why I am upset to find (in current Joyride) in the main 'Control Panel' pane an 'X' button labeled 'Done'. The __universal__ symbolism of 'X' ought to be "Forget it". Why confuse me (and the kids) by using an 'X' here for "simple exit". [The kid doesn't want to have the system "throw away" something he did in s sub-function of the Control Panel.] What is appropriate to use on the main 'Control Panel' pane (since nothing got changed ON THAT PANE) is a 'left-pointing triangle' button labeled 'Back' (i.e., back to the Home View icon). -------- All uses of an 'X' button should convey the same concept: "Forget it". Turns out the Journal 'details view' pane employs the special interpretation that its buttons apply to the Journal_entry [instead of to the pane in which that 'X' is shown]. Thus the 'X' button in the 'details view' pane header is used to 'Erase' the Journal_entry itself, whereas all exiting (in the current Joyride implementation) from the 'details view' pane [whether or not the kid made changes to the (text) content of that pane] is handled by an "active line" located below the pane header [that active line is "identified" by a 'left-pointing triangle' icon ('Back') drawn within that line]. In 'Develop', the functions of the 'X' button and the 'check' button seem to be reversed -- 'check' throws away what was done, and exits. I would say: "NO No no -- visual symbolism __must__ be consistent". mikus _______________________________________________ Sugar mailing list Sugar@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar