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I'm working a UI for a tablet in landscape mode. The primary display will be a 'graph style' (nodes and edges) that takes up the middle of the view.

When I'm looking at the prototypes I'm a bit conflicted as to where to put the 'actions' (EG add node, add edge, remove node, etc). My initial reaction was a typical menu across the top but this seems wrong. A 'left->right' notion seems more intuitive but when I draw it out it looks rather non-standard.

Example:

  • if a node is selected then the right edge will have buttons that effect that node: remove, link, properties
  • if no node is selected or for items that impact the whole display (EG add node) then the menu items will be on the left side

One problem is that having buttons on both sides takes up too much real estate. Have toyed with 'sliding menus' but having them on both sides is very noisy.

Does this paradigm make any sense? Suggestions on what would make more sense?

NOTE: I brought this up in a previous question. I'm a bit reluctant to do more drawing on the arbor canvas as it's pretty busy already. Not 100% set on this though.

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On the right... where peoples eyes pause. UI is trending this way anyhow as the big boys keep evolving... for instance notice that Google's top information about a search is displayed in its own box to the top right of the search results ;) follow the great leader Google.

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  • I thought the stuff on the right was all ads. Fluff.. Look where 'google-the-almighty' put their 'apps' icon in Chrome? Left top. – ethrbunny Dec 25 '13 at 2:38
  • Well actually in chrome the top right is where the app menu is.... with the standard 'three horizontal line square'... Also the home page nav is top right in chrome... expect a LOT more of this rolling out in 2014 across all things trending. Both eye motion studies, and user behavior analytics suggest this is the most intuitive way to do it. – mprototype Dec 25 '13 at 2:49
  • Weird. It's def top left on mine. I'm trying to visualize a 'noun on the left' and 'verb on the right' world. It's not flowing like I want it to but that's probably just me. – ethrbunny Dec 25 '13 at 6:18
  • Check out the navigation on this page (top right... see how it behaves when you scroll down) www.awwwards.com/creative-ui-design-examples-for-great-ux.html – mprototype Dec 27 '13 at 22:28
  • and check out the actions on the right side of this page habausa.com/products/1000-and-1-treasures.html – mprototype Dec 27 '13 at 22:41

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