http://robwilkerson.org/2008/07/02/dont-hide-or-disable-menu-items/feed 2008-07-02T16:57:24-04:00 Chyrp tag:robwilkerson.org,2008-07-02:/id/75//comment_171 2008-07-02T16:57:24-04:00 2008-07-02T16:57:24-04:00 Chad Kieffer http://2tbsp.com <p>Rob, I agree with with your first point and that convention is key to user experience. I do, however, think that many users do care why an item is disabled, especially those who may be unfamiliar with a system or system feature. </p> <p>Joel makes a useful recommendation in support of new users:</p> <blockquote> <p>“If there’s some reason you can’t complete the action, the menu item can display a message telling the user why.” </p> </blockquote> <p>A simple tooltip in the interface would do nicely here, but visually, the menu item should appear disabled (grayed out, etc.).</p>