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In this UI it is possible to type in text in an input box, press Enter and the text would get converted into a tag visually (and in JSON). After the tag is typed, the cursor would be ready for the user to type up a new tag, etc.

Think simple tags input UI's, like on any StackExchange Ask a Question UI.

The problem arose when someone mentioned they were not sure if they needed to press Enter or Space bar or anything else on the keyboard. So naturally we decided to add on-screen floating with cursor buttons - OK (same as Enter) and 'X' (removes the whole typed text up until the first previous tag). So the buttons move to the left with the cursor. Have a look at the screenshot.

enter image description here Someone in the team raised a question of whether the 'X' button is even needed. They said:

Couldn't the user just backspace it?

What are your thoughts? Is there a need for this 'X' button? Would it make it easier? Or would it only make user use their mouse more instead of just backspacing?

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  • More and more questions like this arise. Like "Does all the tags get reset when I click the X?"
    – Kishan
    May 30, 2019 at 11:15
  • This X wouldn't delete all, no. It's a floating with cursor 'V' and 'X'. hope this helps?
    – aly.i.ux
    May 30, 2019 at 11:20
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    Precise edit. Now the concept is clear.
    – Kishan
    May 30, 2019 at 11:27

2 Answers 2

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It's not my words but NNGroup's:

Simplicity Wins over Abundance of Choice

Adding features that have little to no value to most users undermines people’s innate abilities to collect and process information efficiently.

"Simplicity Usually Wins"

I would strongly suggest solutions like the following for this situation. A simple Hint + Button named "Enter/Return" which will cater to both the problems. 1. People get informed to click the "Enter" key. 2. It should be designed in such a way that it feels like a button.

So we avoid all confusions and complex user paths & train of thoughts. enter image description here

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  • Good option! Maybe, if the user is young and considering that Google uses it a lot, you can remove the enter button and add advice like 'Use commas to separate tag' and the system should auto-generate the purple tag when type comma.
    – Rafael Perozin
    May 31, 2019 at 8:21
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It isn't obvious to me that the red X button will only delete current input. What seems more obvious to me is that that button will remove all inputs including boxed ones, since to me it belongs to the entire text field and not just to the text being inputted.

I agree with your colleague — do away with the X button.

On the yes button, I suggest adding a tooltip to be shown when the user hovers a button, with the text "you can also press Enter", for instance.

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  • It doesn't belong to the entire screen. It's a floating button. Let me the upload the screen to demonstrate that.
    – aly.i.ux
    May 30, 2019 at 11:26
  • @aly.i.ux in that case, it's probably a nifty add-on.
    – Arkan Tanriwa
    May 30, 2019 at 11:27
  • have a look at the new screenshot :) hope it helps to understand the problem more.
    – aly.i.ux
    May 30, 2019 at 11:27

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