Right Handers Bias in GUI development?
Saturday, November 2, 2002 by totaltully | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Most mouse based actions in windows take place towards the right edge of the screen. Here's how:
1. Scrolling browser or app windows
2. Minimize, close or restore actions
3. Systray actions
Application menus are placed on the top left, while taskbars are the left bottom.
Would it not make sense to rationalize this positioning. We could move most fucntionality to the right bottom. This will you would have to move your mouse a lot less.
There is no science to this yet. Just an idea
1. Scrolling browser or app windows
2. Minimize, close or restore actions
3. Systray actions
Application menus are placed on the top left, while taskbars are the left bottom.
Would it not make sense to rationalize this positioning. We could move most fucntionality to the right bottom. This will you would have to move your mouse a lot less.
There is no science to this yet. Just an idea
craeonics
Reply #2 Saturday, November 2, 2002 4:22 PM
Reply #2 Saturday, November 2, 2002 4:22 PM
Perhaps, perhaps. But it's not consistent though. Why is that Start-menu on the bottom left?
Peff
Reply #3 Saturday, November 2, 2002 5:00 PM
Reply #3 Saturday, November 2, 2002 5:00 PM
I'm a lefty, but couldn't imagine using the mouse with my left hand. It just doesn't feel right (pun intended). 
GreenReaper
Reply #4 Saturday, November 2, 2002 5:12 PM
Reply #4 Saturday, November 2, 2002 5:12 PM
crae: Because people read right-to-left, and so expect things they read to start at the left?
totaltully
Reply #5 Saturday, November 2, 2002 6:35 PM
Reply #5 Saturday, November 2, 2002 6:35 PM
hippy, just wanted to add that im a right hander. even right handers could benefit from a repositioning of menus to one area of the screen
take care
take care
Peff
Reply #7 Monday, November 4, 2002 11:31 PM
Reply #7 Monday, November 4, 2002 11:31 PM
Funny!! Bangkokboy...you have 'left' me speechless!! 
bakerstreet
Reply #8 Tuesday, November 5, 2002 1:02 AM
Reply #8 Tuesday, November 5, 2002 1:02 AM
I'm in the process of putting a peice together on this sort of thing. The xml system I made for my site was really, really flawed, so I am having to reformat a good bit of content. SHoulnd't be long, though. Self-education is a double edged sword. 
I'll say for the time being that while it probably was right-hand bias that led to right-side scrollbars, but lefties have it licked otherwise. The resting spot for right-handers is usually the lower-right quadrent of the screen, since that is where our arm would fall in r/t. Left-handers' rest area appears to be situated far closer to navigational components.
Consider left-side positioning for most desktop icons, the start button, back and forward buttons on browsers, navigation on 99% of web pages, etc.
I figure it balances out. More to come in the future.
I'll say for the time being that while it probably was right-hand bias that led to right-side scrollbars, but lefties have it licked otherwise. The resting spot for right-handers is usually the lower-right quadrent of the screen, since that is where our arm would fall in r/t. Left-handers' rest area appears to be situated far closer to navigational components.
Consider left-side positioning for most desktop icons, the start button, back and forward buttons on browsers, navigation on 99% of web pages, etc.
I figure it balances out. More to come in the future.
snowzone5
Reply #9 Wednesday, November 6, 2002 3:23 PM
Reply #9 Wednesday, November 6, 2002 3:23 PM
i'm labelled 'left handed' (probably because i write with my left hand)but i use my right hand for the mouse, use right-handed scissors, throw with my right hand...
Bangkokboy
Reply #10 Wednesday, November 6, 2002 5:08 PM
Reply #10 Wednesday, November 6, 2002 5:08 PM
i'm so used to using left-side control icons on DB skins, that i'm awkward when using a "righty".
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Reply #1 Saturday, November 2, 2002 2:56 PM
It would be nice to see some support in future OS's for lefties though, in the same way that Windows has multi-lingual support. A small option for right or left could enable the layout of the screen to be reversed, so that titlebar buttons, systray, etc would be moved to the other side of the screen.
And of course titlebar text would be written backwards, because everyone knows lefties read it that way.....