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Another pet peeve with Meet (and others); does a crossed-out microphone button indicate "click here to mute", or "you are currently muted"? I can't be the only

by 3np 6y ago

Another pet peeve with Meet (and others); does a crossed-out microphone button indicate "click here to mute", or "you are currently muted"? I can't be the only one getting confused about this on a regular basis.

simonw 6y ago
This is a classic challenge in interface design: this confusion pops up every time you have a button which both toggles state AND represents the current state of the world. It's rare to see it solved cleanly. I try to avoid interface elements that attempt to combine these two roles entirely. I quite like the way the Twitter "Follow" button works: when you click it the text changes to "Following", which I think is just clear enough, but only because it's a button that every Twitter uses frequently enough that they are likely to remember how it works.
- 3np 6y ago
  I don’t get this obsession of removing all textual elements. “Muted” wouldn’t be that bad would it?
  - XorNot 6y ago
    Given that's it's an absolutely critical state, I don't get why "You are muted" isn't in white text on a red background. This and "Your video is OFF" are states I care about when video conferencing because the reason to enter them is important.
    - draugadrotten 6y ago
      If I mute my TV, a big crossed-over speaker icon is shown on screen. That UX is how a muted microphone should appear in video meetings. There is perhaps a patent which prevents it for financial reasons.
- oftenwrong 6y ago
  How about a checkbox? [x] Mute microphone (apparently HN doesn't permit the checkbox character)
danybittel 6y ago
I have a similar problem with netflix adding a movie to list. Does a + or check mean add or is it added?
SamBam 6y ago
That's why I actually like the "split pill" style toggle for a binary choice like that, where one side is clearly pressed and engaged, and the other side is clearly up and not engaged and waiting for a user to click it.

by 3np 6y ago

simonw 6y ago

This is a classic challenge in interface design: this confusion pops up every time you have a button which both toggles state AND represents the current state of the world. It's rare to see it solved cleanly. I try to avoid interface elements that attempt to combine these two roles entirely. I quite like the way the Twitter "Follow" button works: when you click it the text changes to "Following", which I think is just clear enough, but only because it's a button that every Twitter uses frequently enough that they are likely to remember how it works.

3np 6y ago
I don’t get this obsession of removing all textual elements. “Muted” wouldn’t be that bad would it?
- XorNot 6y ago
  Given that's it's an absolutely critical state, I don't get why "You are muted" isn't in white text on a red background. This and "Your video is OFF" are states I care about when video conferencing because the reason to enter them is important.
  - draugadrotten 6y ago
    If I mute my TV, a big crossed-over speaker icon is shown on screen. That UX is how a muted microphone should appear in video meetings. There is perhaps a patent which prevents it for financial reasons.
oftenwrong 6y ago
How about a checkbox? [x] Mute microphone (apparently HN doesn't permit the checkbox character)

danybittel 6y ago

I have a similar problem with netflix adding a movie to list. Does a + or check mean add or is it added?

SamBam 6y ago

That's why I actually like the "split pill" style toggle for a binary choice like that, where one side is clearly pressed and engaged, and the other side is clearly up and not engaged and waiting for a user to click it.