Description Frederic Plante 2006-08-21 09:39:25 EDT

Recent usability testing found that users were unable to determine what the action toolbar  (ATB) on empty canvas meant and how it appeared. They were able to figure out how the diagram assist features that appeared on a diagram element but not the ones that appeared on a blank canvas. 

Should a user be unable to determine the value of the action toolbar, it's constant appearance/disappearance/reappearance may annoy the user.  If unused, the action toolbar will only contribute to visual noise and ultimately distract the user from the task at hand. 

To help the user determine how the ATBs on blank canvas work, the pop-up balloon requires some form of affordance to prompt/educate/inform the user that the ATB is a diagram element creation assistance feature. Consider the inclusion of some instructional text, or a command label. A line of simple text with a small font made to look like hover text would not be too intrusive. The message string could read: "Click an icon to create a model element on the diagram". (Please develop all message strings with ID. )

Furthermore, the presence of instructional text or command labels could be managed in the same way it is managed on toolboxes and palettes. Users could configure the display of action tool bar label via a common diagram assistance option page.