APPENDIX
Avoiding Common Mistakes
A-3
Button Size A
Make every text button 13 pixels high and center the button’s name vertically.
Make the button just wide enough that with the button’s name horizontally
centered there are three or four pixels between the name and the button’s left
and right borders. See pages 3-3 and 3-7.
Capitalization A
Capitalize the following items like sentences: checkboxes, field labels, and
picker items. Capitalize the following items like book titles: view titles, text
button names, and radio buttons. In some contexts it makes sense to capitalize
differently, but your should be consistent within an application. See pages 2-5,
3-4, 3-18, 3-19, 4-3, 4-20, and 6-2.
Picker Icons A
Think twice before including icons in pickers. They’re hard to design and
have limited benefit. See page 5-12.
Dismissing a Slip A
If dismissing a slip does not cause an action to take place (other than
accepting changes made to data in the slip), use a Close box for putting away
the slip. In this context the Close box means “close” or “put away.” Use a
take-action button and a Close box if users have a choice when dismissing
the slip of initiating an action or canceling. In this context the Close box
means “cancel.” See pages 2-16, 2-23, and 2-33.
Take-Action Button A
Name a slip’s take-action button with a specific verb such as Print, Fax, or
File. Only use vaguely affirmative names such as OK and Yes where you
want to force users to scan other parts of the slip to verify what action the
button initiates. See pages 3-4 and 3-5.