How to track common UI element placement?

For common elements, such as a logout button on a website, save button in an application, need to be presented to users in an standard, easily discoverable way. How do you go about deciding where in your a开发者_如何学Pythonpplication to place these elements? Do you research similar apps and try to follow convention? Is there any database that attempts to track the use of these common elements or is this too hard to capture?

The goal is to put UI elements where users expect to find them. You want to leverage the knowledge that they already have about how applications work.

So, looking at the the UI elements for the OS that you are targeting is helpful. Unfortunately, there are some key differences here between Windows and Mac, you will have to pick one or switch based on the OS if you target both.

Looking at applications that are similar to yours is generally not a good idea unless you believe that people using your product are already using these other products and you want them to switch.

Instead, you look at products that are complementary to yours, or products that you expect everyone is familiar with. At one point it was a good idea to look at Excel and Word to know how an Windows application should work; But I don't think that the current versions of Excel and Word are a good model, they deviate too much from the way the OS works. You could still use older versions - before the ribbon, if you are targeting Windows.

It's best to be a bit conservative, choosing applications that have been out for a while and people are likely to be comfortable with rather than chasing the latest design innovations that are coming out of Apple and Microsoft.

I research similar apps and try to follow convention...

E.g. logout goes up in the top right near the "X"/close in most applications

Save/Edit buttons towards the bottom of the thing I'm editing... since contextually they happen after I finish the editing I just did.

Then again, you have apps like Outlook... that have the send/save buttons at the top.

In general though... I have application-wide actions (e.g. login/logout/help user info at the top)

Item specific tend to be inline or just after the item they are adding/editing.

I totally agree with leveraging knowledge that the user already has. Every techie is (or probably is) familiar with http://www.dice.com. It frustrates me to no end to see that their website is designed with the logout "link" (not even a "button") at the very BOTTOM of the page. In this age of security conciousness, what a place to put a logout link ???

I have used DeLorme Street Atlas USA mapping software ever since Windows 3.1. About five or so years ago, they changed their entire user interface, moving AWAY from all of the features that make application software in the Windows environment easy to learn and navigate and SIMILAR from one application to another, and TO a totally foreign user interface, unique to their individual product offering.

Was it necessary ? probably not... What was it's impact to the current user community ? probably not thought about... What was it's impact to someone new to Street Atlas USA ?? Probably LESSENED the adoption rate of the software product, because it looked so foreign compared to a user's already-used applications developed with the common Windows-based look and feel.

Although books can be written on how "we" dislike Microsoft, the value-added benefit to Windows since it's infancy with Windows 3.1 was that you could create totally different software applications, but have a SIMILAR navigation style threaded throughout all of the applications, LESSENING the new application learning curve, and INCREASING the adoption rate amongst software applications for the Windows user.

Leveraging positive current user knowledge can only increase the adoption rate of a software product. Why re-invent the wheel, when the current wheel is known and adequate ?