"OK" button

I’m currently using AutoCAD Mapping and five other data-input related software suites in the course of my work. Add to that email and Microsoft Office software. I haven’t actually attempted to count the number of times a day that I have to reach for the mouse, seek out a button, and then “OK” it. There is software available to tally this, but I’m not sure I want to know the actual number.

What is exacerbating the stress on my wrist and shoulder (and probably thousands of others) is the location of the “OK” button… upper right, lower left, center right, center left… . . and multiple-screen drop down windows, each with their own “OK” button to seek out, mouse to, and then click. Every graphic designer has some idea about how they want “their” screen to appear.

Every software developer is supposed to be seeking the answer to a client’s problem, increasing ergonomic stress shouldn’t be a side effect. Corporate ergonomic “safety” experts recommend moving the entire arm rather than using the wrist, but depending on the resolution of the screen and the button spacing it usually isn’t possible.

Microsoft seems to be on an eternal quest to make their Office software more user friendly. How 'bout a user-definable button location ability, applicable globally to any software operating on the system? If I want the “OK” button (or any button for that matter) to be in the center, at the bottom, that is where I could define it to be.

Add to this that some software has “no” or “cancel” as the default, so if you press enter, you cancel the action.

I quite often use my arrow keys on the keyboard and the enter key for this reason. Maybe a 3D mouse could be customised for this.

Get a mac. Thinks it’s pretty standardized on mac software.

:wink:

R

The general rule I like to use is the main action button for that page or dialog should be on the right. Same for previous and next, where next would always be on the right. Right symbolizes continue, go forward, next, etc. The far left button should be the least desired action or the action you would be taking just 20% of the time. This could be things like copy and delete on a page or cancel or exit to end the current task.

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I’m currently using AutoCAD Mapping and five other data-input related software suites in the course of my work. Add to that email and Microsoft Office software. I haven’t actually attempted to count the number of times a day that I have to reach for the mouse, seek out a button, and then “OK” it. There is software available to tally this, but I’m not sure I want to know the actual number.

I think most software decisions presume that you want to proceed so the ‘OK’ is usually highlighted - if it is, you can hit ‘ENTER’ without a required mouse click unless you want provide a different action. Hard to get used to though – mouse clicking is now a powerful first reaction.

I do this when I’m using SolidWorks, though technically it’s the enter key. Between that and Escape I rarely have to say ok or cancel to an action with the mouse in SW, though it’s a hard habit to break.

Yes, it is.

I don’t think anyone designs these screens, that’s why they are the way they are. Maybe MS has solved this with Windows 10?

Enter is in the same place on every keyboard. I rarely click the OK button on anything.