Controller button design

[Bert Freudenberg]

On Nov 23, 2006, at 15:05 , Ivan Krstić wrote:

> Bert Freudenberg wrote:
>> You still can use the controller buttons
>> for whatever you want in your activity. Like jump or duck in a game.
>
> But by using accept/cancel symbols, you're creating totally  
> unintuitive
> visual connections. Why on earth would I press the cancel button to
> jump, or the accept button to fire?

Granted. Still, if the cross stands for "cancel" on the escape key  
why is it the same symbol on the controller buttons then?  
Additionally, the script lock key on english keyboards has a cross on  
it, too, for no obvious reason.

> The e-book activity, in particular, makes use of all of the buttons
> without any of them meaning accept or cancel. You can question the use
> of the Sony-like symbols -- at one point, the prototypes just had the
> numbers 1-4 on the buttons, IIRC -- but I disagree strongly with
> labeling the buttons in a manner that implies a particular function.

Then there should not be a cross there at least. It implies canceling.

I'm sure we could come up with better symbols. I kinda like the  
triangle and square. The logical successor in a way could be a five- 
pointed star. Maybe we could replace the cross with a circle, and  
make the former circle button the star, which to me would look most  
inviting to be pressed.

This would at least eliminate the "cancel" confusion. However, there  
certainly are more ideas about this?

- Bert -