Questions relating to the use of the common pointing device.
0
votes
2answers
64 views
Is there any emerging “standard” for the direction a screen scrolls when a trackpad “scroll” gesture moves downwards?
I mean this as a concrete question about what configuration is becoming standard, not a place for opinions about which feels better.
The question is about what direction the screen scrolls, up or ...
5
votes
4answers
184 views
When to use reversed/mirror arrow cursor?
Is there an established pattern for when to use a reversed (right-pointing) arrow? I most frequently notice it in Outlook on part--but not all--of messages in my inbox:
My Google-fu failed at finding ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Records mouse activity and suggest topics of interest? [closed]
Is there any way to collect users mouse activity in browser?
I need this information, so as I can suggest some topics which user might be interested in.
I am planning to gather some information over ...
3
votes
1answer
153 views
Who invented the blinking cursor
I was wondering who invented the blinking of a cursor, because I was just thinking if it wouldn't blink the UI would be a lot less responsive.. so this must have been one of the first signs of ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
Snapping to grid
What is a good threshold for a UI which allows users to place objects, snapping them to a grid? 25% of the grid size? Less or more? Should the user be able to change this?
4
votes
3answers
259 views
Mouse scroll wheel should target focus or hover?
I've noticed an inconsistency with controls responding to scroll input. Different OSs (and even different programs within the same OS) behave differently.
Here's the scenario:-
Imagine you have two ...
2
votes
0answers
44 views
Mouse over gesture in touch interface [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are some alternatives to “hover” on touch-based devices?
I'm looking for a touch gesture/ other solution that would replace a mouse over indication ( like we see ...
7
votes
2answers
131 views
Any cheat sheet available that shows UX match between mouse events and touch events?
I am supposed to make a web App UI Design which can be used through PC and Tablet. I am looking for a cheatsheet or link where mouse events and touch events are matched?
Eg. A mouse click on PC is ...
16
votes
4answers
750 views
Are there any recent studies of the “Keyboard vs Mouse”-issue?
Back in the late 80's, Apple Human Interface concluded that the mouse is faster than the keyboard, objectively. But also that every test person subjectively thought that the keyboard was faster.
...
6
votes
4answers
170 views
Hide controls on a touch enabled device and only show them if someone uses a mouse?
We're building a responsive web site and we're having a discussion about how to display controls on a map. The theory is that people with touch-enabled devices do not need to see zoom sliders because ...
2
votes
3answers
178 views
How to test whether UI is usable with touch-screen on desktop
We are developing application for mobile platforms. But it can be tested on (windows) desktop and it's obviously easier than uploading to device. However mouse is quite a bit more precise than the ...
2
votes
6answers
216 views
Button Action: Left Click vs. Right Click
Has anyone ever seen the following design pattern in use, and if so, is there ever a good time to use it?
(Button) labeled "Do Something"
[User] left-clicks on (Button)
[System] action A (Add) is ...
3
votes
6answers
491 views
What do you call that interfacing zone?
What would you call the surface of contact which can activate an element when it passes over it. For example, the area that's covered is different whether you use a stylus, a finger or a mouse.
In ...
6
votes
2answers
305 views
What is the purpose behind mouse acceleration?
Windows XP enables it by default, I don't know about vista or 7, in Mac OS X you have to buy a shareware to remove both mouse acceleration AND accelerated scrolling.
Why are those things always ...
1
vote
2answers
103 views
Hijacking the mouse pointer on context menus
Is this a good idea to hide the cursor, or maybe constrain its move to a vertical move, when the user has invoked a context menu?
A context menu is basically unidimensional, so it makes sense to drop ...
3
votes
3answers
230 views
Is it OK for scrolling interactions to not scroll content?
This is a general question about scrolling behavior with a trackpad or mouse. I've been discussing this with my peers, and it's become quite a debate.
Our conversations are specifically about the ...
5
votes
5answers
298 views
How to inform user that he can use mouse wheel to interact with an object?
On a website I have a map-like gizmo and list-like object. Both has their controls - the map has a google-map-like zoom giozmo and the list has simplified scroll bar. But both can be navigated using ...
6
votes
2answers
329 views
Shading buttons darker than the normal state vs. highlighting
While coding up pieces of a website, I was puzzled as to why the designer chose a hover state that is a shade darker than its normal state. It seems logical to me that a rollover state should be a ...
-3
votes
3answers
189 views
Is double-click necessary anymore? [closed]
Double-click can pose multiple problems... you can move the mouse too much between the 2 clicks and it won't register as a double-click... or worse, it will be interpreted as a "drag"... same problem ...
9
votes
3answers
399 views
Multiple Monitors and screen corners
Most people in my workplace have multiple monitors with the primary monitor being to the left of the secondary one, and I have noticed that they have trouble closing applications.
Generally, the ...
4
votes
6answers
287 views
What's the term for imprecision in mouse and touchscreen clicking?
I've noticed in some tasks that require very fine precision with the mouse, that the act of physically clicking the button is sometimes enough to move the mouse. In an extreme case, I watched an ...
6
votes
2answers
410 views
Is there any research available about the speed of working with a mouse vs. working with a trackpad?
I ask this because of a friend who never hooks up a mouse to his laptop because he claims he can work just as fast with a trackpad as with a mouse.
My personal experience is the other way around. I ...
2
votes
3answers
248 views
Is it safe to adopt idea of double-click on a radio button? [closed]
(I have first noticed this with MS Office applications, but I have seen it also ...somewhere in Gnome, I can't remember where...)
The idea
If a dialog pops up that basically asks you to choose only ...
6
votes
2answers
127 views
Is there any research into the cost of switching between using a keyboard and a mouse?
My intuition and own experience tells me keyboard shortcut keys can be faster than using the mouse. However, some tasks like browsing the internet or a folder hierarchy truly benefit from using a ...
4
votes
6answers
533 views
UI design with MINIMUM number of clicks
Project : ASP.NET with C#
Client side : JavaScript and jQuery
Consider the scenario,
I have a number of user to use the software. I will classify them into different groups. Then, I would like to ...
8
votes
8answers
457 views
How can I make it obvious that a page element is to be hovered over?
On my webpage I have five boxes containing the names of each step in a five step process. When the user hovers over one of the boxes, it expands and shows text explaining that process.
How can I ...
40
votes
9answers
4k views
Should a button become lighter or darker on hover?
We're having a discussion in the office about whether a button should become lighter or darker when a user hovers over it.
Here are some examples from the field:
Apple "Buy Now" button (Second is ...
1
vote
3answers
202 views
Conventional keyboard modifier for expanding/collapsing hierarchical tree view
I have a large tree view where users will often want to fully expand or collapse a particular tree. I'm providing a context menu with both of these choices, but I'd also like to allow the user to hold ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
So how big is the mouse pointer?
In the research of creating a design standard for touch applications, the size of the average finger pad comes up as an important figure (1cm x 1cm)
But what about the interaction method we have been ...
23
votes
5answers
1k views
How do you use an icon to represent 'click once' (not twice) [closed]
I need to teach my users to use issuu.com's interface -- click once to zoom in.
If they double click, it zooms in then out again. I can't change issuu's component so want to add something on my web ...
4
votes
7answers
272 views
How can I lead users to and use an unusual navigation
So, I'm making someone a high concept website. Basically, there's one of those old fashioned television sets with circular nobs, like those on a stove, to change the channel. You turn the nob, it ...
11
votes
8answers
682 views
When is double-clicking appropriate for the web?
I recently saw a website that required the user to double-click an item in a scrolling list to 'open' it for editing. It surprised me, as I don't usually think double-click is appropriate for ...
5
votes
3answers
453 views
Why are different cursors used when hovering over buttons in Gmail?
In the Gmail interface they are not consistent in which cursor they use on button/link hover.
They use the "hand" pointer for:
Links in the sidebar(mail, contacts, inbox, starred etc..)
The mails ...
14
votes
4answers
402 views
When is it a good idea to perform actions on mouse-down *as opposed to click/mouse-up*?
I've grown used to the GUI paradigm of pre-select on mouse-down, action on mouse-up. In fact, I rely on it, sometimes canceling an unwanted action after mouse-down by dragging outside of the click ...
4
votes
5answers
375 views
What is the optimal position for a right click menu?
We're in the middle of designing a web application with a right click menu, and I was thinking where to position it relative to the position of the cursor.
There are different solutions:
Solution ...
9
votes
6answers
321 views
Which is more important, less mouse distance to travel or visual consistency?
I have an interface that I am currently working on that asks the user to make a choice of a single item. These items are divided into 3 separate categories and the client has insisted that each ...
32
votes
14answers
3k views
Should double click be avoided in web applications?
I find that double click is a great gesture that could be successfully used in graphical interfaces but for some reason has negative connotation on the web. Should it be avoided at all costs?
3
votes
3answers
456 views
How Many Clicks for Given Action?
I am designing a web app in which people can come in and rate "objects" and comment on them. I know that the easier it is for the user to perform the main activities the better, but I was wondering if ...
7
votes
1answer
107 views
Easiest cursor move?
In relation to making a pie-menu.
I've tried finding research on this, but to no avail.
My reasoning is this: Put the most used features at the easiest places (although putting opposites.. opposite ...
2
votes
2answers
447 views
Double-click on toggle buttons
I've witnessed a lot of old people double clicking on hyperlinks and buttons when a single click would suffice. This odd behavior would be troublesome for buttons that toggle a state. Take for example ...
