The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Virtual Navigation Buttons from UX Perspective

by Juned Ahmed Tech Writer

We are still not sure what to choose between virtual and physical buttons but as the debate over virtual buttons is getting more intensified, we have to face the question with a renewed focus. Google effort in convincing us that the buttons should be part of the screen has been criticized by many but still it continued to be the part of UX for various Android phones. Actually, both sides have some irrefutable logics in support or against of on-screen buttons. Until we give a patient hearing to their arguments, our decision over this UX element risks being partial.

Some blunt truths about virtual buttons

Well, before we actually go deeper in the pros and cons of on-screen buttons a few details concerning this might be worth considering. Google introduced on-screen buttons with their release of Android OS version called Ice Cream Sandwich and initially it was applauded widely for allowing immersive experience while navigating over the screen. For the first time, instead of pressing a button a swiping gesture could take you to an app. That was pretty awesome and was considered to be a mighty value addition.

But what really happened that made this UX feature suddenly detested by many UX designers? Over time the screen real estate became absolutely crucial for great UX design and now designers try to leave all the pixel grabbing elements that make clutter or just make the screen look smaller. This typical UX demand for bigger stripped of screen view finally led to the removal of on-screen buttons in many devices. Many devices are again resorting to physical buttons now.

A comparative study of the pros and cons of virtual navigation buttons

So, it is a shift in UX focus and evolving requirement that made virtual buttons not so necessary as they were just a couple of years ago. But they are still present in many Android smartphones to the delight of the users. So, why not take a look at all the pros and cons of these UX elements?

Let us have a detailed look at all the pros and cons of virtual navigation buttons from UX perspective versus physical device buttons.

The Good

Honestly, in spite of the debate raised by forward-thinking UX designer, virtual or on-screen buttons still look good and convincing. Let us begin with the brighter side first.

Offering transparent screen buttons they offer a really immersive look and feel.
The absence of physical buttons with an all-glass frontal look is obviously prettier.
Swiping gesture to access apps and Google Now allows unmatched ease.
A lot of flexibility to allow the appearance of other buttons and menu.

The Bad

Lovers of virtual buttons! Are you prepared to gulp down the shortcomings of these buttons? Well, they are not less convincing as the good ones. Let us have a look.

They grab the precious pixels of the screen and actually make the display look a little duller.
Often by hiding when you need to tap buttons they annoy us. You may end up tapping twice every time you need to use them.
With physical buttons, you can customize certain actions with the Galaxy S6, while on-screen buttons just can never allow such options.

The Ugly

When you need to compromise on user experience with certain apps and actions, it drives you crazy. Well, on-screen buttons can sometimes be that ugly in undermining user experience.

While physical buttons can allow a performing number of actions without impacting user experience, on-screen buttons offer limited options and make users compromise on pixels or screen size.
Buttons are distractions on the screen, especially when you need to see a total specter whether in outdoor or in front of a gallery.
Well, if the buttons hide from the screen to allow an unperturbed view, double pressing to see the buttons appear is equally irritating.

The verdict over physical

We have seen the good, bad and ugliest sides of virtual navigation buttons and our sense of logic naturally goes for the physical device buttons after going through all the above findings. But are physical buttons free of such pulling factors for the user experience? Let me tell you, physical buttons may be more stable compared to their on-screen counterparts, but they equally have an array of negative aspects. What are so unpleasant about physical buttons?

The biggest objection is the slow pace of input from physical buttons. These buttons make user experience slower than the virtual ones.
They often make a poor aesthetics for the device with the eye-grabbing appearance of the buttons under the screen. It hinders the clean buttonless look of the Android phone.
Physical buttons prove to be a pulling factor for maintaining optimum screen to device ratio.
Physical buttons are more susceptible to non-function at crucial times as they are entirely hardware dependent.
Physical buttons cannot change the orientation as you switch from portrait to landscape view or vice versa.

Hardly any seasoned Android user would disagree with all the points mentioned above. So, with so many pros and cons on both sides it is really challenging to take side with any of them. While on-screen virtual buttons are preferable because of their flexibility, device level aesthetic and faster accessibility, physical buttons prove to be more reliable. If you need a dedicated and dependable function with a button, physical buttons will prove better.

But irrespective of the so-called distracting, annoying and visually undermining attributes of the virtual navigation buttons, still they do not have a credible replacement ready from the device manufacturers. There are certain devices that tried to achieve an amicable solution between the two by introducing contextual on-screen buttons for certain tasks while always providing physical buttons for dedicated tasks. Well, in the time to come we can expect a lot of fusion and possibilities in this respect.