UXD: User Experience Design

Tabs should be clickable

Sholom Sandalow, Friday, August 11, 2006 @ 4:53 pm

New UXD Rule:  tabs and buttons should themselves be clickable, and not just the text that appears on top of them. 

Why:
Because if we are going to use real world metaphors, they should be complete.   If the entire surface area of a button is clickable in the real world, then it should be on screen as well.

Example:
The use of the tab metaphore on the Typepad interface is incomplete because only the text on the tabs are links...
Caphsot

Topics:

user experience design User Experience Design

Comments: 4 so far

  1. Just out of curiosity, would i do that by inserting an image in to the tab, or is there any other solution.

    Comment by Gregory Bluvshteyn, Tuesday, August 29, 2006 @ 3:22 pm

  2. You could do that by expanding the padding of the link.

    Comment by Okke, Wednesday, August 30, 2006 @ 12:20 pm

  3. This isn’t new news to anyone, or at least should not be. Sorry.

    And you could do it by identifying the entire div as clickable.

    Further, if you have more than one sub navigation under the tab (or any tabs in the grouping), you should make their “active” states also clickable to give a return-to-home method.

    Comment by obvious, Thursday, November 16, 2006 @ 6:37 am

  4. Further, if you want to make your own comments section more usable, then your CAPTCHA technique should allow for persons with disabilities or any sight impediments to be able to effectively use it.

    Comment by obvious, Thursday, November 16, 2006 @ 6:38 am

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