User-Interface Guidelines: Meaningful Labels and Buttons

[mrpolla]

Hello,

I am having some trouble finding out what are the best labels and button texts for my application. Or also the best organization for menu items. I have read about having verbs for the text in button for example. I know most of the rules but never know wether to name a button "save" or "update".

My problem here are usability guidelines (mostly for for windows users). But another problem is that they're not so black-on-white since adaptations are needed for each application (and user).

My questions are: what should I be asking myself when I name a label or a button? Could anyone point me out to a good document that discusses usability guidelines?

[Lectere]

Don't overthink it!

[SJWhiteley]

Are you talking from a developer standpoint, user or both?

Button names are 'developer' cues. Button placement, caption and behavior are 'user' cues. I suspect you have confusion with both.

Since you aren't sure where to start and don't have experience with design, I recommend copying existing standard windows applications. Do not try and be clever. That is, on the users system, copy dialog box design, menu design and layout.

There are various books on UI design: no one book is a panacea. The web-based info tends to be non-comprehensive, but you'll pick up valuable tips over a few years.

As noted, don't overthink it. Button captions should be simple, concise and unambiguous. A 'close' button should simply do that. Don't get clever with synonyms; if every other application uses a specific word for a specific action, use that same word for the same action (right or wrong, your design is not the place to annoy users).

My advice is [you] use the application for its intended purpose. If you can't use it, because it's unusable or you don't know the application you are programming, then you need to learn that first.

Don't worry too much about customisability (for the user). They will use it as-is if it's designed right - usable and useful.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Nobody gets this right all the time.

I wrote a very simple program for use by somebody who had an opinion (not always the case). I just followed the convention of using OK and Cancel buttons on the dialog. As it turned out, not only did they want those changed, they had very specific wording that they preferred. In essence, they didn't want the user deciding whether things were OK or not, they wanted the buttons to, at least, hint at the result of pressing the button.

Though, now that I think about it, I didn't JUST use OK and CANCEL. There was a button, which remains to this day, which has a captions something like "TO HELL WITH YOUR DATA". What makes that particularly funny is that the people who are using the program are very devout christians.

You just never quite know what will work best for people. Guidelines are only good as suggestions.

[kareninstructor]

Depending on your client they may want industry standard conventions for labeling controls while I have some client that they have their own standards. Many years ago I purchase a book on this very topic and was well written. The author had both industry standards coupled with caveats of what makes sense to business customers needs to be considered unless they cannot think for themselves.

Organizing and grouping controls can be just as important. Generally speaking an add, edit set of buttons should not have a remove button close by to the add and edit buttons.

[Lectere]

Nobody gets this right all the time.

I wrote a very simple program for use by somebody who had an opinion (not always the case). I just followed the convention of using OK and Cancel buttons on the dialog. As it turned out, not only did they want those changed, they had very specific wording that they preferred. In essence, they didn't want the user deciding whether things were OK or not, they wanted the buttons to, at least, hint at the result of pressing the button.

Though, now that I think about it, I didn't JUST use OK and CANCEL. There was a button, which remains to this day, which has a captions something like "TO HELL WITH YOUR DATA". What makes that particularly funny is that the people who are using the program are very devout christians.

You just never quite know what will work best for people. Guidelines are only good as suggestions.

lol! you keep em sharp Shaggy

[boops boops]

Hello,
Could anyone point me out to a good document that discusses usability guidelines?

Have you looked at Microsoft's Windows User Experience Interaction Guidelines? You can download the PDF from here. It's very detailed and although it is officially for Vista and Win7, it looks like much of it is applicable to XP.
BB