[IxDA Discuss] Meaningful labels

[Gil Barros]

No Research on the subject, but I still find the Mac HIG (Human Interface
Guidelines) a good resource:

"Button Names

Whenever possible, name a button with a verb that describes the action that it
performs. Button names should be limited to one word whenever possible. You
should never use more than three words for a button name. Use the caps/lowercase
style of capitalization for button names. In general, this means that you
capitalize every word except articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions
(for example, and, or), and prepositions of three or fewer letters. You also
capitalize the first and last words of the name; since button names should
seldom be more than two words, almost all words in button names should be
capitalized. The specific rules for this type of capitalization appear in detail
in the Apple Publications Style Guide.

...

Buttons usually cause instant actions, described by the name of the button. ...

A user typically reads the text in a dialog box until it becomes familiar and
then relies on visual cues, such as button names or positions, to respond. Names
such as Save, Quit, and Erase Disk allow users to identify and click the correct
button quickly. These words are often more clear and precise than names such as
OK, Yes, and No. If the action can't be condensed into a word or two, OK and
Cancel or Yes and No may serve the purpose. If you use these generic words, be
sure to phrase the wording in the dialog box so that the action the button
initiates is clear. Figure 7-3 shows a dialog box with appropriate OK and Cancel
buttons."

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/mac/HIGuidelines/HIGuidelines-146.html#HEADING146-15
(available in pdf too, page 207)

Gil.


Robert Hoekman, Jr. escreveu (10.07.06 14:29):
> [Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]
> 
> Somehow, before I started with my current employer, a decision was made
> (arbitrarily) to use "OK/Cancel" buttons for everything they applied to,
> regardless of whether or not something else, like "Apply" or "Save", would
> offer more meaning.
> 
> This morning I was asked to present my case for why to avoid using the same
> button labels in every case, and instead use something more meaningful when
> it makes sense to do so. So, I have some ideas about what to say, but I
> wanted to ping the list and see if anyone here has any hard research on the
> subject, or has any interesting insights I might be able to share. Any ammo
> is good ammo.
> 
> Thanks!