Google Keyboard Shortcuts
Posted By: Thomas Shaw, 10:54am Tuesday 31 March 2009
Google is always experimenting with new features aimed at improving the search experience. Everyone loves keyboard shortcuts, but only if we could remember all of them. This experimental search function is not new, but interesting to let readers know about ongoing development.
If you have used Google Reader, Gmail or Google Docs in the past you would have noticed the ability to use the various keyboard shortcuts.
I have been using this experimental search page for a few months now. You can see the results here
It begs me to ask - What is your site doing to improve its accessibility?
Pros
- Important tool for handicap people, who can not use the mouse.
- Very intuitive, easy to learn, and easy to use.
- Improves the experience of users, reducing the need for a mouse.
- Makes it easier to focus on a results and navigate between them.
- Control the navigation between results, and cognitively easier and more efficient.
Cons
- Users are already used to the mouse
- The specific key choices are rather weird - "J" goes downs and "K" goes up
- Why these keys anyway, these keys are not easy to locate as there is no anchor next to them
- The sponsored links are still positioned on the right top corner of the screen now, but now positioned under the keyboard shortcuts legend. (Assume that this is only for current reference)
- A result is only highlighted by the small marker, and sometimes it is not noticeable enough
