Projects/Usability/HIG/SOU Workspace/Buttons

Buttons

A button initiates an action when the user clicks it.

Guidelines

• Label all text buttons with imperative verbs, using title capitalization.

• If an action requires additional input from the user before it can be carried out, use an ellipsis (for example, Save As...).

• Format all buttons in a consistent way in a dialog. Keep all buttons the same height and do not use more than two different widths.

• Make invalid buttons insensitive (using visual feedback such as grayed-out text and no hover over affect), rather than popping up an error message when the user clicks them.

• Indicate that a button is active with a hover over affect.

• If a task offers multiple actions with one button set as default; indicate the default action with a highlighted line around the button.

• If the button has more than one variation of the primary action, use a split menu button.

• After pressing a button, the user should expect to see the result of their action within 1 second.

• Do not assign actions to double-clicking or right-clicking a button. Users are unlikely to discover these actions, and if they do, it will distort their expectations of other buttons.