[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    modal dialog windows titlebar buttons
From:       Marco Martin <notmart () gmail ! com>
Date:       2005-08-30 19:43:12
Message-ID: 4314D2F6.5010200 () gmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

Hi all,
I was thinking about the modal dialog boxes, that had always usability 
issues.
I think the main problem is that they are almost never read by the user, 
because they are seen as a brutal interruption of the user's work.
I have also seen many times when a dialog box is prompted, the user 
say:"aah, stop bugging me!" and regularly (s)he clicks on the close 
button on the title bar, of course without reading the message at all.
Because unfortunately the dialog boxes can't be totally removed, i think 
that a partial solution woul be not showing the buttons on the titlebar 
of modal dialog boxes, at least not the close button. IIRC also mac OSX 
have a similar behaviour, but it doesn't even have the title into the 
titlebar, but i think it's bad, because it's not easy spotting to what 
application belongs that window.

Some time ago i did a kwin window decoration based on smooth blend codebase
(http://kdelook.org/content/show.php?content=21107)
and with the last version i implemented the option to hide the buttons 
on the modal, fixed width dialog boxes.
It's a little while i use that feature regularly and i don't see 
particularly big problems, but maybe i miss something :-)
What do you think, would be this an acceptable default for the distant 
future?

--
Cheers,
Mart
_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]