Ask HN: Name of when inconsistent UI makes you feel like youre about to stumble | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Name of when inconsistent UI makes you feel like youre about to stumble

4 pointsclankyclanker5 comments

Is there a name for the feeling like you're about to trip and fall that you get, when a UI is inconsistent?

For example, if a New Document Wizard uses Alt+N ("Next") to proceed through several screens of input, before switching to Alt+D ("Done") at the last screen. At that point, you need to get out of the habit of using "Next" to proceed and start using your new document, and must use "Done" instead.

Every time I hit one of those weird little UI inconsistencies, it makes me feel like I'm about to trip and fall like in music, when a drummer misses the beat.

Edit: I'm not talking about intentional dark-patterns, I'm talking about things caused by oversights or deadlines.

> I'm talking about things caused by oversights or deadlines.

You are talking about seeng a glitch, like haha what a funny error? Or ab out something which makes you feel like an idiot, here is my example: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30698153

Maybe not a term unique to the field, but it’s good practice for a user interface to be cohesive in its conceptual models. In your example, the model given to you wasn’t cohesive in that it required you to first memorise a specific key binding to proceed, then required a separate key binding because the associated ”finalising” term happened to be spelled a separate way. Consider the same case for international users: if the word “Done” is translated into the fictional word “Sploog”, should the final key press be Alt+S for those users? (Hint: No)

Don't know the answer but I think s similar example is when you are using an image preview tool to look through images by mouse clicking on the forward arrow, and at some point the image resizes and you're not clicking on in anymore. I hate that

If it's on purpose to fool users, e.g. to make more profit, then it's probably https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/

Clunky UI.

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