If you're a button, you have one job
22 days ago
- An interactive essay discusses universal challenges of user interfaces, despite seeming old-fashioned due to classic desktop examples.
- A rotation control example: on iPhone, taps are buffered allowing rapid input; on Nothing Phone/Android, taps during animation are ignored with feedback.
- This highlights 'situational disability'—accessibility matters as everyone can face disabling situations, like needing to rotate many photos quickly.
- Casual vs. non-casual use: phone interfaces often serve casual users but must also accommodate power users in specific scenarios.
- Key principle: never force users to wait for animations; buffering inputs or interrupting animations can improve experience.