GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 649405
GtkSwitch confuses me
Last modified: 2011-05-06 02:50:37 UTC
We really must figure out a better design for the GtkSwitch widget: When ever encountering it I have trouble to figure out if the related feature is enabled or not. Always have to click the widget to figure out. Guess this probably is caused because it is unclear if the ON/OFF label relates to current or future state. Please also consider that such switches in physical world usually are linked to some obvious physical effect, like glowing bulbs, heat emission and such. Actually such switches without obvious feedback usually have a small light nearby.
Created attachment 187228 [details] self-glowing switch on power plug
Created attachment 187229 [details] electric iron
Created attachment 187230 [details] oil radiator
Created attachment 187231 [details] self-glowing switch on power plug
Take a look here: http://live.gnome.org/Design/Whiteboards/SwitchGuidance
That's more about where to use the switch. The problem that Mathias has is that a widget that says [ON [---] does not tell you if it means "the feature is ON" or "click to turn the feature on". To compare, think of a button that says [ Up ] (randomly taken from the Epiphany language preferences). Such a button does not tell you that there's a current "Up" setting, but that something will move "Up" when you press it. So what do you think when you see a button that says (to quote the page you mentioned): "[ON [---] Bluetooth"?
After googling around, would something like http://childlikefascination.tumblr.com/post/3473098294/toggle-on-dribble be better in this regard? (And it looks better from a l10n pov, too!)
benjamin: interesting draft. seems that both the distinct color (instead of active state color) and the checkmark help alot to get that widget. not sure if the off state needs its own icon. it being entirely gray is a good hint already. but then i am spoiled now, since i reported this bug and thought about the issue a bit.
someone's reply to the picture you found: http://dribbble.com/shots/115260-Toggle-Switches-Rebound not sure if the red color is fine. but the cross seems to make sense - if you want an icon at all.
http://dribbble.com/shots/115872-Toggle-Switch-Variations
Created attachment 187251 [details] no idea if this makes sense, most probably not. original draft seems much nicer
(In reply to comment #7) > After googling around, would something like > http://childlikefascination.tumblr.com/post/3473098294/toggle-on-dribble be > better in this regard? (And it looks better from a l10n pov, too!) I think this is a bit closer to usable. We could make it better if the "off" case is colored "inactive" or something along those lines, yet still make it clear that it can be clicked to turn on. (In reply to comment #10) > http://dribbble.com/shots/115872-Toggle-Switch-Variations This points out that we obviously don't want to use the "error/do not enter" icon, though I think the use of red and the general symmetry with the "on" state nearly bring us back to the original problem: I'm not sure whether X means "currently off" or "click to turn off" (like X in most other contexts means "close"). Maybe a grey dash/endash decorated like the X in this newer mock-up and a generally "inactive" look for the "currently off" state would clear it all up a little? (In reply to comment #11) > Created an attachment (id=187251) [details] > no idea if this makes sense, most probably not. original draft seems much nicer Could be a little nicer if the trough left of the green light were also green. Another idea - what if we put the check mark on the right side and a - or X on the left side? (where the right side is on and the left side is off, matching this latest mock-up)
(In reply to comment #11) > Created an attachment (id=187251) [details] > no idea if this makes sense, most probably not. original draft seems much nicer I think this is near perfect. Someone with graphic skills (definitely not me) could make it even better. What I find confusing about GtkSwitch, the image posted by Otte and the last two proposals in comment #10 is the information present on the uncovered side of the switch. If it says "ON" (or has an icon with an equivalent meaning), I would assume that when dragging the control over it, I would be actually turning the widget on. Or at the very least, I would be confused by it. So, IMHO it's better to move the informative text/graphics out of the widget; either next to it, or remove it at all. I find that the widget suggested in comment #11 is very intuitive to understand, and it doesn't need any text or graphics to explain what state the widget is in.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 644658 ***