unity-design team mailing list archive

[Sam Hulick <samh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 2/21/14 1:53 AM, Thorsten Wilms wrote:
> On 02/21/2014 12:39 AM, Sam Hulick wrote:
> > Check out this collage of just a few different applications (both native
> > and web) that show that an arrow pointing up means sort in ascending
> > order, and an arrow pointing down means sort in a descending order.
>
> No matter which direction, it remains guesswork if A--Z maps to 
> newer--older and to smaller--larger or if any pair has to be switched 
> around.
>
> I will attach a mockup (that is old as the theme looks) with a 
> possible solution for A--Z and smaller--larger. Also at:
> http://xtupload.com/image.php?id=C440_53071F51
>
> Back then I couldn't think of a clear solution for newer--older. A 
> more recent date could be seen to be a *larger* value, or bars could 
> represent the timespan from now back to the date.
>
> Green could stand for newer and brown for older, but that might be 
> seen as a rather loud solution.
I don't think A-Z is guesswork. Other operating systems and several apps 
have already laid out the fact that an arrow pointing up is ascending 
order, an arrow pointing down is descending order.

Ascending: 0-9, 1PM to 2PM, A-Z
Descending: 9-0, 2PM to 1PM, Z-A

Again, I'd argue that this is standard and fairly universal. And I think 
Unity should stick with arrows, as people know what they mean. While 
putting a tiny "A-Z" in the header bar might make sense, the bars may be 
confusing for some.

-S