出自UXGuide.net

开始菜单

Start Menu

Use the Start menu to help users easily find and launch your program. Apply these guidelines to eliminate unnecessary Start menu items and folders, and choose program names and Start menu infotips easy to recognize and find.

目录 1 设计理念 2 Guidelines 2.1 Program names 2.2 Start menu files 2.3 Start menu folders 2.4 开始菜单信息提示 3 文档编写

用户可以在“开始菜单”上启动程序、打开文件（本地的或共享的）、网页和查看电子邮件消息。它是所有程序及特殊 Microsoft® Windows® 位置（文档、图片、音乐、游戏、计算机、控制面板）的访问点，并包含“最近使用”列表用于快速访问经常使用的程序。

Windows® 开始菜单

注：与菜单、任务栏和通知区域相关的设计规范请参考各自相应的章节。

设计理念

开始菜单的“所有程序”部分本质上是一个菜单树。就像在树形视图设计规范中所说的那样，使用树的困境：树原本是用于组织对象并使其易于查找，但要让树中的对象易于发现是非常困难的。

在开始菜单中，对于可发现性问题的解决方案是：

• 减少开始菜单中的项目数量，只为主程序可执行文件提供快捷方式。用户通过程序自身、合适的控制面板项或安装程序来访问其他程序文件。
• 减少不必要的文件夹，将程序放在顶层或单独的产品文件夹内。通常，你的程序在开始菜单中应当只有一个单独的快捷方式。
• 使用自说明性的程序名称，以便于浏览。
• 选择包含独特的用户可能会搜索的字词的程序名称和开始菜单信息提示。

Guidelines

Program names

There are many factors in choosing a program name, most significantly your program's image, recognition, and branding. The following Start menu guidelines affect your program's discoverability, which is especially important for programs that are not well known or that are used infrequently. Programs that are well known or used frequently have much more latitude in naming.

• Choose program names that are easy to browse:
  • Use self-explanatory names so that users can understand the primary purpose of your program by its name alone.
  • Use program names that alphabetize well. Start names with an alphabetic character, not a space, number, or symbol.
  • Avoid putting a version number in a program name unless that is how users normally refer to your program.
• Choose program names that are easy to search:
  • Use either unique names that are easy to remember, or names that include words for which target users are likely to search.
  • Prefer individual words over compound words.
  • Avoid names that are easy to misspell or are misspellings.
  • Avoid names with jargon and made-up words.
• Use title-style capitalization.

Correct:

Incorrect:

The incorrect examples use compound words, version numbers, or the term "volume" instead of "disk." Although "volume" is technically correct, most users associate volume with sound, not with disk drives. Made-up names make infrequently used programs hard to identify.

Start menu files

• Put only program shortcuts on the Start menu. Don't put shortcuts to the following items on the Start menu:
  • Program uninstallers. Users access uninstallers through the Programs control panel item.
  • Help files. Users access Help topics directly from your program.
  • Control panel items. Users access control panel items from the Control Panel home page.
  • Program options. Users access program options from the Options command.
  • Utility programs. Users access utilities from commands in the Tools menu.
  • Readme files. Reconsider the need for such files, because most users never look at them. If you do need a Readme file, let users access it from your setup program.
  • Web sites. Users access Web sites through appropriate links in your program, or Help for technical support sites.

Correct:

Incorrect:

In the incorrect example, there are unnecessary shortcuts to items that have more appropriate access points.

• Use only a single shortcut per program on the Start menu. Don't put shortcuts in different locations, such as in the top level and in the Accessories folder. Don't put shortcuts to access specific tasks within the program.

Correct:

Incorrect:

In the incorrect example, there are shortcuts to access specific tasks within the main program.

• Label the program shortcut using the program's name. Don't use other labels or include additional information in the label, such as trademark symbols. Don't include the company name unless users associate the company name with the product. Avoid putting the version number in a program shortcut unless that is how users normally refer to your program.

Correct:

Incorrect:

The incorrect examples contain unnecessary information, version numbers, and trademark symbols.

• During setup, don't provide an option to put the program shortcut in the Start menu. Do this automatically.
• During setup, don't provide an option to pin the program shortcut at the top of the Start menu. Let users choose to do this manually.
• Use title-style capitalization.

Start menu folders

• Locate program shortcuts in the top level of All Programs. The improved scalability of the Start menu in Windows Vista makes programs easier to find at the top level. Exceptions:
  • Use Control Panel to access control panel items. They don't have shortcuts in All Programs. Also use Control Panel to access troubleshooting programs.
  • Use the Accessories folder if target users think of your program as an accessory, and it isn't part of the core user experience. For example, Windows Media Player is a core user experience (and therefore in All Programs), whereas Sound Recorder is not a core user experience (so it is in Accessories).
  • Use the System Tools folder only if your program is a system maintenance utility. System maintenance utilities may appear in both System Tools and Control Panel.
  • Use the Administrative Tools folder for programs for IT professionals.
• Create a product folder only if your product is a collection of individual programs (three or more), and users think of your product in terms of that collection.

Incorrect:

Correct:

In the incorrect example, there are only two individual programs, so they shouldn't be in a folder.

• Use only a single-level product folder.
  • Exception: Use a secondary folder only if the product is a collection of several programs (six or more), and two or more of these programs are considered secondary utilities.

Incorrect:

Correct:

In the incorrect examples, there are unnecessary folders.

• Choose descriptive, yet concise folder names:
  • Use three words or fewer.

Incorrect:

Correct:

In the incorrect version, the folder name is too long.

• • Don't include trademark symbols. Avoid putting a version number in a folder unless that is how users normally refer to your product. Put the version number in the Start menu infotip instead.

Incorrect:

Correct:

The incorrect example contains an unnecessary version number and trademark symbol.

• • Use title-style capitalization.
  • Don't use the term folder in folder names.

开始菜单信息提示

• 用开始菜单信息提示来简要地描述菜单项并列出用户主要所能做的事情。
• 要实用。关注用户能够做什么。不要仅仅重复菜单项的名称，甚至是直接照搬。
• 要明确。避免常规动词和包罗万象的用语，像“及其他任务”。如果信息很重要，则明确列出，否则的话，假设用户知道并非所有的东西都会列在信息提示中。
• 要简洁。使用不超过 25 个英文单词。太长的信息提示不利于阅读。
• 以现在时、命令式动词起头，如“创建”、“编辑”、“显示”和“发送”等。尽量使用明确的动词，而非常规动词，比如“管理”和“打开”。

错误：

正确：

在错误的示例中，信息提示是以常规动词开头的。

• 抓住要点。不要使用那些可以用于任意一个开始菜单项的动词，如“start（开始）”、“lets you（让你）”、“use to（用于）”及“provides（提供）”。
• 不要使用推销式的语言。

错误：

在这个示例中，信息提示听起来像是在推销。

• 使用句子大写样式。
• 致开发人员：开始菜单信息提示文本来自于菜单项的 Comment 字段。

文档编写

When referring to the Start menu, capitalize Start but don't capitalize menu.