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确认信息：设计理念

Confirmations: Design Concepts

目录 1 那些没有必要的确认信息真的很烦 2 考虑其他的设计方案 3 使确认信息需要用户思考 4 提供全部信息 5 提供有针对性、有用的信息 6 如何确定确认信息是否必要

那些没有必要的确认信息真的很烦

初始的 Windows 确认信息肯定是像下面这样的：

原先烦人的确认信息。

这是个糟糕的开始。如果你希望用户讨厌你的程序的话，四处布满这样的确认信息就行了。要想知道这是为什么，试着从用户的角度来考虑。用户被问及是否要执行一项操作——即所谓进行确认——除非用户不小心点到或者碰到了什么的话，显然用户是希望继续的。

那些不必要的确认信息不仅烦人，而且也无法有效地避免用户出错。当一个程序包含不必要的确认信息时，用户很快就会发现，且他们的自然反应就是尽快关掉它，往往看也不看。结果，这些确认信息仅仅是给完成这些任务额外增加了一个步骤而已。

不要仅仅因为用户可能出错就使用确认信息。相反，确认信息在用于那些具有极其严重或者非预期的结果时最为有效。好的确认信息说的绝不是那些显而易见的事情，而是需要让用户知道的——不再继续下去的好的理由。而且，仅在确实需要采取行动时才给出确认信息，比如当用户所作的修改值得保存时才提示用户进行保存。这样仅在真正需要时才去转移用户的注意力。

对于其他类型的确认信息，往往有比强迫用户回答问题更好的设计方案。

考虑其他的设计方案

这里给出了一些可以减少常规确认信息的设计方案：

• 避免出错。对任务进行重新设计，使那些严重的错误很难意外发生。例如，将破坏性命令与其他命令在物理上分开，以及需要多步操作来完成等等。
• 提供撤销。提供撤销操作的能力。例如，在 Microsoft® Windows® 中删除文件通常不需要确认信息，因为删除的文件可以从回收站中还原。要知道，如果一个操作非常容易执行，那么让用户能够撤销是非常必要的。
• 提供反馈。让那些非预期的结果更加醒目。如果用户没有意识到他们出错了，仅是提供撤销仍然不够。例如，直接操纵（例如拖放操作）的效果应当保持明确。
• 假设可能的结果，并保持易于修改。如果你无法确定用户想要的是什么，但有一个比较可能、也很安全可靠的选择，那么就先假设那个选择，明确将会发生什么，然后通过快捷菜单或者智能标记让其易于修改。例如，Microsoft Word 假设用户希望使用单词正确的拼写，Word 会自动进行更正但允许用户进行恢复。
• 完全避免选择。如果这个选择不那么重要的话，用户则不会在乎。最好简化你的程序，去掉选择。

使确认信息需要用户思考

要使确认信息有存在的价值，用户必须明白为什么不能继续操作。有时原因很明显，比如当用户正要关闭一个已更改但未保存的文档时：

在这个示例中，进行确认的原因很明确。

在其他一些时候，原因可能就不那么明显了。

当为对话框的提交按钮选择使用何种标签时，基本准则是选择能够有针对性地对主标题说明进行回答的标签。这可使用户更加有效地作出选择，因为用户只需阅读最少量的文本即可继续。不过，对于确认信息来说，这可能完全达不到期望的效率。比如这个例子：

错误：

在这个示例中，用户需要思考才能做出正确的选择。

如果你在用户要求卸载之后立即给出此确认信息的话，用户的回答很可能是“我显然想要卸载！”他会不假思索地单击 Uninstall。

对于确认信息来说，我们不希望用户草率地作出情绪化的决定。为了让用户对他们的回答进行思考，我们需要在用户作出决定的过程中设置一个小小的速度障碍。我们可以通过使用是/否提交按钮的方式：

较好：

在这个示例中，使用是/否提交按钮强迫用户至少要阅读主标题说明。

或者，我们也可以用额外的语言来指出存在不要继续的原因。

也不错：

在这个示例中，提交按钮的标签中加入了“anyway”字样，指示确认信息给出了不要继续的原因。

提供全部信息

If you are going to ask a question, you must provide sufficient information for users to answer that question intelligently. Consider the Confirm File Replace dialog from Windows XP:

The Windows XP Confirm File Replace dialog box.

Does this confirmation provide all the information users might need to answer the question? Before you answer, consider the most common user scenarios:

1. Copy (or move) the other file, replacing the existing one.
2. Keep the existing file, without copying or moving the other file.
3. Keep or copy the newer file (top scenario).
4. Either keep the existing file or copy the other file, depending on criteria such as file contents and size.
5. Keep the existing file and copy the other file using a different name.
6. Cancel the operation if something is wrong or unexpected.

Users can achieve scenario 1 by clicking Yes and scenario 2 by clicking No. They can achieve scenario 3 by comparing the file dates and clicking the appropriate button, but notice how much thought it takes to determine the newer file and then determine the appropriate button—especially for what is likely to be the most common scenario.

Scenarios 4, 5, and 6 are also surprisingly difficult. The file sizes are rounded off, so, for example, it is impossible to determine if these files have the same size or even if they are the same file. The icons are for the application used to open the file, so users would have to open the files to inspect and compare their content. Having thumbnails of the file content would be far more useful in answering the question.

The Copy File confirmation from Windows Vista® does a much better job of handling these scenarios by providing more information and adding the option to keep both files:

The Windows Vista Copy File confirmation.

提供有针对性、有用的信息

If you are going to ask a question, ensure that users understand the question and the implications of the alternative responses. Consider this Windows Internet Explorer® security confirmation:

A vague security confirmation.

This confirmation asks a question that users can't possibly answer intelligently. The user has requested that Windows Internet Explorer display a page, and this message advises against it implicitly through the wording of the text and by highlighting No as the default choice.

The specific security issue that the page poses is not sufficiently explained, so the risk of continuing isn't clear. What information in the confirmation would cause the user ever to click No? Because of the vagueness of the message, the confirmation isn't likely to discourage users from continuing, but will make them feel bad about doing so.

For this confirmation to be useful, it must provide more information—specific information that might cause the user to decide not to proceed. In general, for each response in a confirmation, consider the scenarios that require it and make sure that there is sufficient information provided for users to want to choose it. Provide choices, not dilemmas.

如何确定确认信息是否必要

Thinking through the scenarios and the likelihood of choosing each response suggests a systematic way to determine if a confirmation is necessary. If users are likely to select all of the responses, the confirmation is necessary and useful. However, if only one response is likely (say 98 percent of the time), the confirmation is clearly unnecessary and should be removed. Note that confirmations related to security, legal, and safety issues are possible exceptions.

Is this confirmation necessary? Will users ever select No? It's possible but very improbable. This confirmation should be removed.

If you do only three things...

1. Make sure your confirmation is really necessary. There should be a legitimate and clear reason not to proceed, and a chance that sometimes users won't.
2. If the reason for the confirmation isn't immediately obvious, choose commit buttons that encourage users to think about their response. Typically, this is done by phrasing the confirmation as a yes or no question and providing Yes/No answers.
3. Consider all the scenarios and provide the information required to answer the question intelligently.