New file creation dropdown - problem of redundant labels impacting user experience

[Jerome-Herbinet]

We have to think of the section headings and each option underneath them as a single sentence, thus avoiding repetition and unnecessary length.

Currently, we have :

• Upload from device

  • Upload files
  • Upload folders

• Create new

  • Add folder description
  • New folder
  • Create new templates folder
  • New diagram
  • New document
  • New presentation
  • New spreadsheet
  • New text file
  • Create file request
  • New PDF form

I suggest clearer and lighter formulations:

• Upload from device

  • files
  • folders

• Create new

  • folder description
  • folder
  • templates folder
  • diagram
  • document
  • presentation
  • spreadsheet
  • text file
  • file request
  • PDF form

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[Jerome-Herbinet]

@nextcloud/designers

[solracsf]

@Jerome-Herbinet noticing that icons are not aligned too; is this a screenshot problem or a real problem?

[Jerome-Herbinet]

@Jerome-Herbinet noticing that icons are not aligned too; is this a screenshot problem or a real problem?

@solracsf it's a bug in the specific context, notably when COOL and OO are both installed. I think that only OO icons are misaligned. I don't know if the bug occurs when only OO is installed.

[jancborchardt]

I wonder if UX-wise and accessibility-wise this might result in less quick interaction. If I’m looking at a button called "Document" it’s definitely confusing for a second, as I don’t necessarily also look at the heading, while "New document" is self-contained.

It’s a similar thing why "OK/Cancel" is not a good idea for modal button labels, but rather spell out what the button will do, like "Create conversation", even if it repeats the heading.

[marcoambrosini]

If I’m looking at a button called "Document"

Note that you've just clicked a big "+ New" button

[jancborchardt]

Ok sure let’s go ahead. :) But I would keep the clarification for:

• File upload
• Folder upload
• New folder

[susnux]

Before we can do this, I think we need to refactor the menu. Because otherwise it will make no sense for screen readers, as the "heading" you see is just a text leaf, it is not a submenu -> So it will be not "Create new presentation" but just "presentation" -> not good.

See accessibility tree:

---

So this is possible, but needs refactoring into groups, which is currently not supported by our actions component. I would recommend that we postpone this, so we are able to properly do this also for accessibility.

[marcoambrosini]

@susnux wouldn't longer aria labels solve this issue for screen readers?

[susnux]

That would not make it semantically valid, also if there is a visual label (the button text) then the aria-label must be either the exact same of not provided (will fallback than to the visual label). This is also required for voice activation.

[marcoambrosini]

Got it, thanks for the clarification

but needs refactoring into groups, which is currently not supported by our actions component.

Do you think it makes sense to do this? Do we have other use-cases where this feature would help?

[susnux]

Do you think it makes sense to do this? Do we have other use-cases where this feature would help?

Yes, for example it would improve accessibility for checkboxes / radio buttons within the menu. Because currently we cannot group them logically (I mean buttons with radio semantics not necessary real radio buttons / checkboxes).

[jancborchardt]

Since this is more complex than thought: Here is a screenshot of the current actual "+ New" menu (without duplicate "New spreadsheet" etc entries like in the original post).

And to be honest, the main issue I see here is the sorting. It should be adjusted to this (headings of course included):

• File upload
• Folder upload
• (Separator)
• New folder
• New text file
• New document
• New spreadsheet
• New presentation
• New diagram
• New whiteboard
• (Separator)
• Create file request
• Create templates folder