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Another great link if you're interested in Apple's design insights: "Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines" , from 1995 or so. I keep a copy on my desk at work

Another great link if you're interested in Apple's design insights: "Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines" , from 1995 or so. I keep a copy on my desk at work as it's a great conversation piece and full of fascinating HCI insights. You can download a PDF here: http://interface.free.fr/Archives/Apple_HIGuidelines.pdf http://interface.free.fr/Archives/Apple_HIGuidelines.pdf :) One of my favorite details that seems to be frequently overlooked in modern times is the ellipsis on menu items to indicate that further user input is required (see "The Ellipsis Character in Menus" in Chapter 4). Lots of software follows this pattern, but a surprising amount of software _doesn't_!

sedatk 7y ago
This was also replicated by IBM CUA standard so Microsoft Windows had it from day one, too.
ken 7y ago
The current HIG still says "Use an ellipsis whenever choosing a menu item requires additional input from the user", but doesn't elaborate on this. Even Apple seems to have abandoned their earlier conventions and mostly just resorts to "use an ellipsis if the control will show another window/dialog". Apple's guidelines used to make it clear that (a) if the only additional input was a simple confirmation, it shouldn't get an ellipsis, and (b) if the whole point of the menuitem/button was to show a window, then it doesn't need 'more input', so it shouldn't get an ellipsis. Both of these are violated by the Mac's built-in applications in Mac OS X, which is a shame.
- josefrichter 7y ago
  Copy&paste from current MacOS HIG: "Use an ellipsis whenever choosing a menu item requires additional input from the user. The ellipsis character (…) means a dialog or separate window will open and prompt the user for additional information or to make a choice." Maybe you looked at other platform HIG? Can you share examples where the guidelines are violated by MacOS built in applications, please? Not saying it's not happening, just curious.
noir_lord 7y ago
> The color that is most difficult to distinguish is light blue, which should be avoided for text, thin lines, and small shapes. In hindsight kind of ironic given how much light blue/blue is used in 'modern' interfaces.

sedatk 7y ago

This was also replicated by IBM CUA standard so Microsoft Windows had it from day one, too.

ken 7y ago

The current HIG still says "Use an ellipsis whenever choosing a menu item requires additional input from the user", but doesn't elaborate on this. Even Apple seems to have abandoned their earlier conventions and mostly just resorts to "use an ellipsis if the control will show another window/dialog". Apple's guidelines used to make it clear that (a) if the only additional input was a simple confirmation, it shouldn't get an ellipsis, and (b) if the whole point of the menuitem/button was to show a window, then it doesn't need 'more input', so it shouldn't get an ellipsis. Both of these are violated by the Mac's built-in applications in Mac OS X, which is a shame.

josefrichter 7y ago
Copy&paste from current MacOS HIG: "Use an ellipsis whenever choosing a menu item requires additional input from the user. The ellipsis character (…) means a dialog or separate window will open and prompt the user for additional information or to make a choice." Maybe you looked at other platform HIG? Can you share examples where the guidelines are violated by MacOS built in applications, please? Not saying it's not happening, just curious.

noir_lord 7y ago

> The color that is most difficult to distinguish is light blue, which should be avoided for text, thin lines, and small shapes. In hindsight kind of ironic given how much light blue/blue is used in 'modern' interfaces.