Click the Next button or Click the Next arrow to continue?

[nickcab]

Click the Next button or Click the Next arrow to continue. Which statement do you use and why?

[AndyKingInOC]

If I have to use it, I use "Click Next to continue" or even just "click to continue" and put it near the button.

My personal feeling is that user interface should be intuitive enough so they know either to click to move forward, or give the direction once and be done with it. 

Unless there's something specific about a click sequence (branching, or "click the [something] icon to continue") my hope is they can get the instruction once, know what the 'continue' button looks like, and then only show the button after that.

[elearning_dude]

I agree with Andy.

It gets *really* annoying when every slide's voiceover ends with a "Click next to continue!".

What I do is I created custom next buttons (but you don't have to) for a very minimalist navigation set, and once a project is complete I add a little 3px high line that fades in at the end of each slide. It is positioned right above my NEXT button, so it acts as a visual prompt to the user that the slide audio is complete, and it's time to move to the next slide when they're ready.

[AndyKingInOC]

I like that idea with the line.  sometimes what I'll do in CP, is have the button appear and then have a glow affect hit it, like you said to draw the eye.  if it's text or narration I might use 'click to continue' or 'click when you're ready to continue' especially if they're going to an outside resource or reviewing some information on screen which some may take more time than others.  Mostly, that's just a cue to them to take as much time as they want.  Not to say they DO, but I try.

That said, sometimes a client will say "it didn't tell me to click to continue."  which i always find.. not frustrating.. but something along those lines.

Ten years ago I could imagine not knowing what to do, but I shouldn't 1) have to put "NEXT" on a button for you to know what to do if it has an arrow, or 2) tell you to click it on every slide.  The right/left arrows are so ubiquitous in technology and web now, I can't imagine people with appropriate background (understanding less tech-savvy audiences may not) wouldn't know what they should do.  And hey, if they have to click them to see what they do, that's all good too.  Proper implementation of the Gutenberg diagram should be enough for most learners.

All just my opinion of course.  I'm curious what others have to say.