Web Design - Control Layout
Posted on April 27th, 2004
Ever since I was wee programmer I was taught that “good” gui design (as it related to controls) meant that you align labels and control right next to each other. So if one were to create a data entry screen it would like so:
| Name: | |
| Rank: | |
| Serial Number: |
Since moving to web development I have seen a lot of web pages from some big companies (like these examples; HP, MS, SUN, etc..) designed without aligning the labels next to the controls so they look like this:
| Name: | |
| Rank: | |
| Serial Number: |
I continue to think the first approach is better because it seems like your eyes have to do less horizontal scrolling to figure out what to put in the given textbox. However, I began to wonder if “things” have changed and that the old way of doing things isn’t the preferred way anymore (especially since these bigger companies were doing it “wrong“). Needless to say I was happy when I saw in the BLAF guidelines (mentioned in an earlier post) that they right align the labels next to the control they are for as well. I wonder why some web developers choose to align their controls this way? My guess; if you dont specify an alignment it goes left… so people left it there and now we think thats the way to do it.
I understand that Oracles BLAF isn’t the definitive standard (is there one?) but it’s always nice to find something that supports your way of doing things! ;)
Filed under .NET |