CHAPTER 3
Controls
Hot Spots 3-21
Figure 3-20 A slider used for data input
Hot Spots 3
Some views need to have many small, unnamed controls that respond like
buttons when tapped. For example, a view that contains a map might
respond to a user tapping a place on the map by displaying information
about the place tapped. These hot spots may be visible or transparent.
Make it clear what elements of a view are hot spots unless you want to hide
them from users. If space and design considerations permit, give hot spots a
distinctive look that users can learn means “tap here.” Simple geometric
shapes—such as circles, squares, and triangles—are possibilities. When a
user taps a visible hot spot, highlight it to provide feedback. Users need
feedback to reassure them that they have really tapped the hot spot.
Hot spots that are very small and close together may have to be invisible to
avoid cluttering the view they’re in. Feedback is very important with small
invisible hot spots, because a user can’t be sure which hot spot he or she is
tapping. One possibility is to display a list of all the hot spots near where the
user tapped, and let the user select one of the listed spots by tapping it in the
list. If the user taps a place where there aren’t any nearby hot spots (a “cold”
spot), the application can provide feedback by listing one item that explains
the situation, such as “Nothing here.” Figure 3-21 shows how the Time Zones
application responds when a user taps one of its invisible hot spots.
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lider