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Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

uxmovement.com

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Re: Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

#5

Post by revolutions »

constantx wrote: post #3

+1 and yet, most arguments will end up toward the direction of "platforms consistency," especially on Facebook-related application since they have it "OK" | "Cancel" order.

I agree that in the long run it would be better for users; yet as a user, I'm used to clicking on the Okay button on the left. Every time I see one isolated application with the Okay button on the right, I'm going to have a slower/harder time knowing which button I need to press.

If one of your users uses 50 applications, and he uses yours once in a week, he's going to be annoyed at your application for being different; even if that "different" is supposedly better, reflexes have taught the user to scan the buttons in a certain way.

I'm not suggesting that the order we have now is better; but until one of the OSs or an application like Facebook moves to the "better" button order, I can't see why a designer might do so for his own application.

Re: Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

#6

Post by veeti »

revolutions wrote: post #5
constantx wrote: post #3

+1 and yet, most arguments will end up toward the direction of "platforms consistency," especially on Facebook-related application since they have it "OK" | "Cancel" order.

I agree that in the long run it would be better for users; yet as a user, I'm used to clicking on the Okay button on the left. Every time I see one isolated application with the Okay button on the right, I'm going to have a slower/harder time knowing which button I need to press. If one of your users uses 50 applications, and he uses yours once in a week, he's going to be annoyed at your application for being differe…

Android changed the order of positive/negative buttons in dialogs with 4.0 and it took me ages to get used to the new order. Just stick with the platform default, please: it's what users expect.

Re: Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

#7

Post by constantx »

revolutions wrote: post #5
constantx wrote: post #3

+1 and yet, most arguments will end up toward the direction of "platforms consistency," especially on Facebook-related application since they have it "OK" | "Cancel" order.

I agree that in the long run it would be better for users; yet as a user, I'm used to clicking on the Okay button on the left. Every time I see one isolated application with the Okay button on the right, I'm going to have a slower/harder time knowing which button I need to press. If one of your users uses 50 applications, and he uses yours once in a week, he's going to be annoyed at your application for being differe…

couldn't agree more ;)

Re: Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

#8

Post by 51Cards »

I still can't stand this in Android 4.0

Yes/No, OK/Cancel, Open/Close, On/Off, Come/Go, Stay/Leave, Buy/Sell, Gas/Brake, Thanks/No Thanks...

In English anyhow we are used to Positive option first, Negative option second... it's how our language flows and thus how we think. We read Left to Right... we expect the positive option on the Left, i.e. first, and the negative option on the Right, second. Just how I view it anyhow. To me it feels backwards the other way around and I don't feel that's just a learned convention. I will continue to curse Android 4 every time I mis-click on a dialog.

Re: Why ‘Ok’ Buttons in Dialog Boxes Work Best on the Right

#10

Post by rtkwe »

revolutions wrote: post #5
constantx wrote: post #3

+1 and yet, most arguments will end up toward the direction of "platforms consistency," especially on Facebook-related application since they have it "OK" | "Cancel" order.

I agree that in the long run it would be better for users; yet as a user, I'm used to clicking on the Okay button on the left. Every time I see one isolated application with the Okay button on the right, I'm going to have a slower/harder time knowing which button I need to press. If one of your users uses 50 applications, and he uses yours once in a week, he's going to be annoyed at your application for being differe…

I agree, platform consistency is more better for your app than following something which is theoretically better. I'd be reticent to change the Ok -> Cancel order without some harder evidence than this.
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