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Lots of complaints in the article about the hidden menu. I like the hidden menu, at least on devices with small screens (all phones). I know it isn't as discove

by Zak 16y ago

Lots of complaints in the article about the hidden menu. I like the hidden menu, at least on devices with small screens (all phones). I know it isn't as discoverable as an always-visible toolbar, but discoverability is not the only valid concern in the design of a UI.

rodh257 16y ago
Yeah everyone seems to rag on the menu button, but I like it, saves space on the screen, seems logical to me. When I'm looking for extra options, I hit that menu button. When using my girlfriends iPhone I miss it, instead of having the one menu button I have to look for the applications personalized menu icon on on the screen - it's not consistent. Perhaps its just that most people are used to the IOS way of doing things?
- Zak 16y ago
  I notice that with some reviewers; they often translate "not like iOS" to "not good UX", and I don't think that's fair or accurate. I also think that phones and tablets are different kinds of devices, and that the tradeoffs appropriate for one aren't always right for the other. I might prefer a menu button on a phone and a toolbar on a tablet.
jsz0 16y ago
The major problem I have with the menu button, and all the Android buttons, is they are disruptive to the flow of using the software. Until the touch buttons are as sensitive as the touchscreen itself it's going to be a bit jarring to switch back and forth. This raises the problem of the touch buttons getting activated accidentally if they are too sensitive. I prefer having all the UI elements accessible from the touchscreen itself. It's probably a bit of a compatibility nightmare to attempt to solve now. Using touchscreen UI elements in tablets and a physical or touch button in SmartPhones is definitely not the most consistent way to approach the problem. Many people use their phones in a landscape orientation. IIRC at least one Android phone maker implemented the menu/back/home/search buttons in a second small LCD. This would probably be the best approach. The buttons themselves could change orientation as needed.
- trjordan 16y ago
  The Nexus One solves this problem -- the 4 button are just dedicated chunks of the screen, and they're precisely as responsive as it sounds like you'd like.
- Zak 16y ago
  I strongly prefer physical, mechanical buttons; they work better with muscle memory. Some devices implement some of the buttons as on-screen soft-buttons. It's probably possible to do with all of them. At least one upcoming tablet has no off-screen buttons. Fortunately, Android is an open platform with lots of flexibility so we can each get devices we like. If only they'd bring back trackballs and 5-row keyboards... then I'd be happy.
- Qz 16y ago
  The dedicated buttons on my HTC Incredible are just as responsive as the touch screen itself. Seems like a device issue, not an Android issue.
- AndrewDucker 16y ago
  I love having physical buttons. They're always in the same place, and I can find them without looking at the screen.
jinushaun 16y ago
The problem with the hidden menu in Android is that Google set a precedent of bad UX by hiding primary tasks in the menu. It's ok to put secondary tasks in a context menu, but primary tasks should be visible at the top level. Desktops have the same problem with putting too much functionality in the right click context menu. It's like making a painting app where the only way to paint is to select the brush and colors from a context menu. Or making a web browsers where the only way to navigate back and forth or change the address is via a context menu. Or a tabbed text editor where the only way to switch files is via a context menu. You don't have to be an Apple fanboi to agree that that is just bad UX. People who disagree are probably developers and developers should not be designing UX. That's why open source programs have notoriously bad UX. Fortunately, Google recognizes this problem and is fixing this I newer versions of their apps. For example, you can now finally locate yourself in the Map app without going to the menu.

by Zak 16y ago

rodh257 16y ago

Yeah everyone seems to rag on the menu button, but I like it, saves space on the screen, seems logical to me. When I'm looking for extra options, I hit that menu button. When using my girlfriends iPhone I miss it, instead of having the one menu button I have to look for the applications personalized menu icon on on the screen - it's not consistent. Perhaps its just that most people are used to the IOS way of doing things?

Zak 16y ago
I notice that with some reviewers; they often translate "not like iOS" to "not good UX", and I don't think that's fair or accurate. I also think that phones and tablets are different kinds of devices, and that the tradeoffs appropriate for one aren't always right for the other. I might prefer a menu button on a phone and a toolbar on a tablet.

jsz0 16y ago

The major problem I have with the menu button, and all the Android buttons, is they are disruptive to the flow of using the software. Until the touch buttons are as sensitive as the touchscreen itself it's going to be a bit jarring to switch back and forth. This raises the problem of the touch buttons getting activated accidentally if they are too sensitive. I prefer having all the UI elements accessible from the touchscreen itself. It's probably a bit of a compatibility nightmare to attempt to solve now. Using touchscreen UI elements in tablets and a physical or touch button in SmartPhones is definitely not the most consistent way to approach the problem. Many people use their phones in a landscape orientation. IIRC at least one Android phone maker implemented the menu/back/home/search buttons in a second small LCD. This would probably be the best approach. The buttons themselves could change orientation as needed.

trjordan 16y ago
The Nexus One solves this problem -- the 4 button are just dedicated chunks of the screen, and they're precisely as responsive as it sounds like you'd like.
Zak 16y ago
I strongly prefer physical, mechanical buttons; they work better with muscle memory. Some devices implement some of the buttons as on-screen soft-buttons. It's probably possible to do with all of them. At least one upcoming tablet has no off-screen buttons. Fortunately, Android is an open platform with lots of flexibility so we can each get devices we like. If only they'd bring back trackballs and 5-row keyboards... then I'd be happy.
Qz 16y ago
The dedicated buttons on my HTC Incredible are just as responsive as the touch screen itself. Seems like a device issue, not an Android issue.
AndrewDucker 16y ago
I love having physical buttons. They're always in the same place, and I can find them without looking at the screen.

jinushaun 16y ago

The problem with the hidden menu in Android is that Google set a precedent of bad UX by hiding primary tasks in the menu. It's ok to put secondary tasks in a context menu, but primary tasks should be visible at the top level. Desktops have the same problem with putting too much functionality in the right click context menu. It's like making a painting app where the only way to paint is to select the brush and colors from a context menu. Or making a web browsers where the only way to navigate back and forth or change the address is via a context menu. Or a tabbed text editor where the only way to switch files is via a context menu. You don't have to be an Apple fanboi to agree that that is just bad UX. People who disagree are probably developers and developers should not be designing UX. That's why open source programs have notoriously bad UX. Fortunately, Google recognizes this problem and is fixing this I newer versions of their apps. For example, you can now finally locate yourself in the Map app without going to the menu.