Sliders Should Be Used for Non-Quantifiable Values Only
Designer: “Oh, cool, this UI kit has a nice-looking slider; let’s use it for everything!”
User (trying to set a value): *smashes up phone*
Figure 18.1: I was trying to select 86
If you’ve ever fiddled with a tiny touchscreen while trying to set a value with a slider, you’ll be familiar with the preceding scenario. Even on a desktop screen with a mouse, it’s a pain.
Slider controls should never be used for setting specific numeric values. They are, however, great for volume controls, brightness, and color mix values, where the slider can be used to pick a value in a more qualitative way, and the actual numeric value itself doesn’t need to be precise.
For precise numbers, refer to #19, Use Numeric Entry Fields For Precise Integers.
Learning points
- Slider controls should never be used for setting specific numeric values
- Use sliders for adjusting qualitative settings such as volume and brightness, where a precise value isn’t needed
- Make the slider control a sensible size that can be easily grabbed by the user’s pointing device
