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I have a UITableView with rows that each have two actions that can be performed. The user can be shown the item details screen (edit the name and see summary info) or they can 'open' the item to properly interact and play with it. At the moment the first action is achieved via a rounded-rect button with a label "i" in it, and the second action is started by selecting the row (i.e. pressing anywhere else on that row).

I know about the Apple UI buttons that can be put on the rows but I'm not sure which to use. Would the blue "i" button look like that was the only interaction and therefore users would not select the row? Would the chevron (arrow) look like it was going to "go deeper in" rather than just show summary info?

This is a style question rather than a how-to. Hopefully that is still appropriate here,

gerry3
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Craig
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  • Hope you can find the answer here, but in case you can´t check http://doctype.com that is like __stackoverflow__ but for design questions. Regards! – Pablo Fernandez Jan 06 '10 at 00:35
  • I think this is all personal preference, but I use the detail disclosure to mean see more information about this object. Whereas the "I" information is pending about this object. Think about a mail account. Details disclosure about a mail account is the SMTP settings, information about a mail account might be that there are messages waiting? just my 0.02 – NWCoder Jan 06 '10 at 00:37
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's about a user-experience problem and should be posed at https://ux.stackexchange.com/ – Volker E. Sep 07 '16 at 17:47

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Users know that table view rows can be selected (in addition to controls within them).

You definitely should continue to use the whole row tap for the "open" especially if that's the operation that the user will perform more frequently (bigger target is better).

You could switch to using the standard chevron for the item details screen, but the "i" button or a custom button is perfectly acceptable as well (and you could set your custom button as the cell's accessory view, so it's in the exact same place).

If your table has an "edit" mode, you may also need to consider how/if these actions change.

gerry3
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    From the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines, the grey disclosure indicator (arrow) should indicate that a user can "can tap anywhere in the row to see the next level in the hierarchy or the choices associated with the list item". The detail disclosure button (blue arrow) lets users "tap this element to see detailed information about the list item". For more, see here: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/ContentViews/ContentViews.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40006556-CH12-SW13 . Apple will call you on this during review. – Brad Larson Jan 06 '10 at 15:25
  • I've gone with the interface of the Phone app's Favourite list where the blue chevron shows you the address card of the person in that row and clicking anywhere else will initiate a call to them. – Craig Jan 07 '10 at 18:08