The OK button

OK, that was easy. I may have finally figured out which is my favorite button.

The OK button.

It’s universal, ubiquitous, friendly, decisive, connected. It’s on your screen, it’s in your pocket. It’s everywhere. It’s you and the machine having a casual conversation. “How’s this?” “OK!” We probably say OK dozens of times each day without realizing it. It’s a word that requires two people, the speaker and the listener. OK is connection.

All interaction with technology is a conversation. You ask a device to do something. It responds with a question or some choices. In most situations, your simplest response is to simply say OK. The OK button is the handshake. You and the device have worked together to a mutual agreement. “Do you want to save this phone number?” OK. “Do you want to print your document two-sided?” OK.

It’s the one button that requires nearly no translation. Luckily, it’s also one of the most compact words available. OK. Two letters that will fit on any button. OK is not just a word anymore. It’s an icon. A wordicon.

OK typically lives in the center of four arrows, navigational controls for maneuvering around menus or other onscreen options. It sits in the center, offering comfort. It grounds you when you’re lost. It affirms when you’re done. Don’t worry, it’s OK.

OK replaces Select. Select has a hollow technical ring to it. When was the last time you used Select in normal casual conversation? Hello waiter, I will select the house salad. Which movie should we select to see? I am selecting this tie to wear at my very important business meeting. Select is not something you or I do. Select is a technical description of what a hypothetical someone else does.

Enter is just as bad. In conversation, what do we really Enter? (Hey now, there are kids in the room.) A building? Numbers in a spreadsheet? The Dragon? Select and Enter are commands to machines. OK is a conversation with your friend, technology.

OK? OK.