a web design "theory"
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- the_user0
it's an accessibility issue. What does 'click here' tell a vision-imparied user using a speech browser?
It's about contextual labels not just the words 'click here.'
use your head.
- mitsu0
this is where icons come into play. a visual form of communication which transcends the language barrier
- kpl0
problem with icons:
- people need to learn what an icon means, just like they need to learn what a word means.
- how do you visualize a click?
- the_user0
Yeah for people that can see.
And on a global scale - text can be localized. Icons are, more times than not, problematic in some cultural contexts.
- mirola0
i tatooed 'lick here' on my dog's balls.
he was real grateful.
- mitsu0
i don't know, i think icons are pretty clear:
- steak&liquor0
Does this say fun or scary?
- mitsu0
behold, the fear-love lifeline:
[fear----------------love]
- kerus0
yes, accessibility.................
if someone doesnt know what they should be using to navigate without writing HEY CLICK THIS PLEASE DUDE MAN all over the place
- monNom0
the push/pull problem can in large part be blamed on handle design.
pushers have long slim horizontal bars, while pullers have the scooped handle in a somewaht vertical orientation...
when you go fucking around with these rules, you screw people up... like putting pushers on bother sides, who does that help?
even worse is pullers on both sides, as you're likely to rip the pocket right off your jacket when leaving.
here's a helpful fact to remember:
commercial doors almost always open outwards (for fire code reasons)
- connerd0
aye, i like the cut of your jib Nom.
- davetufts0
Your boss is right.
(1) [a]Click here[/a] to contact us
Wrong: link is not descriptive(2) [a]Click here to contact us[/a]
Wrong: link is too long to scan quickly(3) Click here to [a]contact us[/a]
Wrong: if i click on the words 'Click here', nothing will happen(4) [a]Contact us[/a]
Correct!
- ********0
Davetufts gets a housepoint.
Great answer.
- ian0
Hey poepl need the 'click here'. I did a design where all text was grey except links which were orange. Roll over the links and they turn grey like the text.
The client said people were missing the links and couldn't subnavigate. The problem is some people don't want to have to work when they get on a website, they want to be guided around like children in a museum.
Some people don't put the effort into learning how to navigate around a site, they think that links should be blue and big and sometimes flashing.
- vespa0
I agree with MonNom.
Read The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman for more along that line of thought.
There are other ways (mainly to do with placement and visual heirarchy) to solve the problem.
- Blofeldt0
I think [a]click here to contact us[/a] is fine. Generally people expect to see links underlined. Also as long as all your links follow the same rules then people will understand the way your site works and won't be confused. Sign posting stuff's a good idea. Imagine what a pain in the arse amazon would be if you were always having to discover important links by having to rollover everything.
- rasko40
people come with language facility built in, we just need the input to learn it. While it is true that people are stupid, I like to think that if we veer away from giving such patronisingly overstated instruction then perhaps people will learn the language.
optimistic?
- zaven0
click here is usefull because you show how a link looks like in the website.
if you put
'click here to enter the website' in red and on rollover it becames blue you are telling people links are in red...so in the next pages you dont have to write 'click here' but you only need to write it in red.. user will discover everything if you teach him how to navigate...
but much better is to put your mother in front on the screen and let her play with a website interface, you will discover that 90% of websites use bad navigation...
solve your problems observing, studying than acting...
- Blofeldt0
I tend to think of a bussiness or ecommerce site a bit like a big railway station or an airport. They have plenty of signs, because there are loads of different places to go, but it's important to go to the right one.
Thats why these places tend to have standardised signs. I think the Internet can be seen like that. It has a common language, links are underlined, each site has a contact us, you expect the signs & links to be explanitory.
If you're doing an more experimental site where you want an expect the user to be creative then that's fine too, depends on your audience.
- vespa0
some good points being made.
Maybe one of the reasons I'm a good interactive designer is cos I can be nearly as stupid as the general public sometimes - see the interactive newyear card check thread ;)