Post #2327093

2026-03-27 18:37 UTC

@cavyherd@wandering.shop @deathkitten@firetribe.org A design word for this is "affordances." At the obvious level, it covers e.g. putting a handle on a door to make it clear you can push or pull it. If you don't put something in the interface that *clearly* hints there are extra choices, then many (most?) people won't ever think to click there. For many users, the "..." or "Ξ" that are now in vogue for menus don't do that; IMO they're an unfortunate fad among UI designers. Even "More ..." rather than "..." would help.

Replies (2)

@CliftonR@wandering.shop 2026-03-27 18:46

@cavyherd@wandering.shop @deathkitten@firetribe.org Then there are all the programmers who implement user interfaces where you must right-click on something in order to realize there's something there which you could right-click on. One of my coworkers is terrible about this. Unfortunately he has been completely immune to explanation or persuasion that right-clicking on odd bits of the display to get a contextual menu is not "obvious" to everyone who's not him.

Open ##2327094
@cavyherd@wandering.shop 2026-03-27 19:06

@CliftonR@wandering.shop @deathkitten@firetribe.org Famously, door handles. My dentist's office (where I've been going 2x/year for ≈20 years) has pull-handles on the inside, & •signs• that say "Push." Last place I worked had same. Except the signs said "Pull". On the outside. Of glass doors. Some smart-ass put up a paper, hand-written sign, on the inside, that said "Pull backwards means Push." >

Open ##2327109