There are several user experience improvements that would benefit the jQuery-based keyboard selector.
Steps to reproduce the issue with keyboard selector visibility:
- Go to any Wikimedia wiki (e.g., English Wikipedia).
- Make sure you are logged in, as the keyboard selector currently only appears for logged-in users.
- Click once inside the search bar at the top of the page.
- Expected Result: The keyboard icon should appear next to the search bar.
- Actual Result: The keyboard icon does not appear.
- Click a second time in the search bar.
- Actual Result: The keyboard icon now appears, allowing the user to select a keyboard layout.
- Click outside the keyboard selector window or leave it inactive for a few moments.
- Actual Result: The keyboard icon disappears, requiring the user to click in the search bar again to make it reappear.
Here are a few suggestions for improvements:
- Button visibility on first click: Currently, when a user first clicks in the search bar on a Wikimedia wiki (e.g., English Wikipedia), the keyboard button that opens the keyboard selector doesn’t appear. It only shows up after the second click in the search bar. Ideally, the button should be visible from the first click to streamline the user experience.
- Button size and persistence: The current keyboard button is small and easy to miss, especially since it disappears after clicking outside the selector window or following a period of inactivity. Making this button larger, more prominent, and persistent would make it easier for users to discover and use.
- Enhanced discoverability: Improving the visibility of this keyboard button by making it bolder and more noticeable would help users identify its function more quickly, enhancing usability.
- Availability for all users: At present, the keyboard selector is only accessible to logged-in users. Ideally, it would be available to non-logged-in users as well.
These changes would make the keyboard selector more intuitive and accessible across Wikimedia projects.
