{"id":507,"date":"2025-07-25T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/?p=507"},"modified":"2025-07-30T15:41:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:41:17","slug":"designing-better-ux-for-left-handed-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/25\/designing-better-ux-for-left-handed-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Better UX For Left-Handed People"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>              <title>Designing Better UX For Left-Handed People<\/title><\/p>\n<article>\n<header>\n<h1>Designing Better UX For Left-Handed People<\/h1>\n<address>Vitaly Friedman<\/address>\n<p>                  2025-07-25T15:00:00+00:00<br \/>\n                  2025-07-30T15:33:12+00:00<br \/>\n                <\/header>\n<p>Many products &mdash;\u00a0digital and physical &mdash; are focused on \u201caverage\u201d users \u2014\u00a0a statistical representation of the user base, which often overlooks or dismisses anything that deviates from that average, or happens to be an edge case. But people are <strong>never edge cases<\/strong>, and \u201caverage\u201d users don\u2019t really exist. We must be deliberate and intentional to ensure that our products reflect that.<\/p>\n<p>Today, roughly 10% of people are <strong>left-handed<\/strong>. Yet most products &mdash; digital and physical &mdash; aren\u2019t designed with them in mind. And there is rarely a conversation about how a particular digital experience would work better for their needs. So how would it adapt, and what are the issues we should keep in mind? Well, let\u2019s explore what it means for us.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/16b832d9ad4b28edf261f34df\/images\/eb9604fd-b3e4-40f9-80a9-244e6d38f00d.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"983\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/1-ux-left-handed.jpg\" alt=\"Designing Better UX For Left-Handed Users\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      The best option to support interaction for both hands is by placing key actions at the bottom center of the screen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/vitalyfriedman_designing-better-ux-for-left-handed-users-activity-7330488018673225728-_Ox1\">An illustration<\/a>, based on Steven Hoober\u2019s research. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/1-ux-left-handed.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>.course-intro{&#8211;shadow-color:206deg 31% 60%;background-color:#eaf6ff;border:1px solid #ecf4ff;box-shadow:0 .5px .6px hsl(var(&#8211;shadow-color) \/ .36),0 1.7px 1.9px -.8px hsl(var(&#8211;shadow-color) \/ .36),0 4.2px 4.7px -1.7px hsl(var(&#8211;shadow-color) \/ .36),.1px 10.3px 11.6px -2.5px hsl(var(&#8211;shadow-color) \/ .36);border-radius:11px;padding:1.35rem 1.65rem}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.course-intro{&#8211;shadow-color:199deg 63% 6%;border-color:var(&#8211;block-separator-color,#244654);background-color:var(&#8211;accent-box-color,#19313c)}}<\/p>\n<p class=\"course-intro\">This article is <strong>part of our ongoing series<\/strong> on <a href=\"\/category\/ux\">UX<\/a>. You can find more details on <strong>design patterns and UX strategy<\/strong> in <a style=\"font-weight:700\" href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\/\">Smart Interface Design Patterns<\/a>&nbsp;\ud83c\udf63 &mdash; with live UX training coming up soon. <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\">Jump to table of contents<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"left-handedness-left-only\">Left-Handedness \u2260 \u201cLeft-Only\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to assume that left-handed people are usually left-handed users. However, that\u2019s not necessarily the case. Because most products are <strong>designed with right-handed use<\/strong> in mind, many left-handed people have to use their right hand to navigate the physical world.<\/p>\n<p>From very early childhood, left-handed people have to rely on their right hand to use tools and appliances like scissors, openers, fridges, and so on. That\u2019s why left-handed people tend to be <strong>ambidextrous<\/strong>, sometimes using different hands for different tasks, and sometimes using different hands for the same tasks interchangeably. However, only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rd.com\/article\/ambidextrous\/\">1% of people use both hands equally well<\/a> (ambidextrous).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n    break-out article__image\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/why-the-world-is-not-designed-for-left-handed-people-96bb5cf4c460\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/2-challenges-left-handed-people.jpg\" alt=\"The difficulty of using physical devices designed for right-handed use.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/why-the-world-is-not-designed-for-left-handed-people-96bb5cf4c460\">Challenges for left-handed people<\/a>: when a foldable desk for writing is located on the right. Better: pull it up to the center. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/2-challenges-left-handed-people.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the same way, right-handed people aren\u2019t necessarily right-handed users. It\u2019s common to be using a mobile device in <strong>both left and right hands<\/strong>, or both, perhaps with a preference for one. But when it comes to writing, a preference is stronger.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"challenges-for-left-handed-users\">Challenges For Left-Handed Users<\/h2>\n<p>Because left-handed users are in the minority, there is less demand for left-handed products, and so typically they are <a href=\"https:\/\/theleftyguitarist.com\/buying-guides\/why-left-handed-guitars-are-more-expensive\/\">more expensive<\/a>, and also more difficult to find. Troubles often emerge with seemingly simple tools \u2014\u00a0scissors, can openers, musical instruments, rulers, microwaves and bank pens.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n    break-out article__image\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/why-the-world-is-not-designed-for-left-handed-people-96bb5cf4c460\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/3-challenges-left-handed-people.jpg\" alt=\"The difficulty of using physical devices designed for right-handed use.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/why-the-world-is-not-designed-for-left-handed-people-96bb5cf4c460\">Challenges for left-handed people<\/a>: using \u201cregular\u201d scissors with the left hand can be difficult for left-handed users. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/3-challenges-left-handed-people.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For example, most <strong>scissors<\/strong> are designed with the top blade positioned for right-handed use, which makes cutting difficult and less precise. And in <strong>microwaves<\/strong>, buttons and interfaces are nearly always on the right, making left-handed use more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with <strong>digital products<\/strong>, most left-handed people tend to adapt to right-handed tools, which they use daily. Unsurprisingly, many use their right hand to navigate the mouse. However, it\u2019s often <strong>quite different on mobile<\/strong> where the left hand is often preferred.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t make design decisions based on left\/right-handedness.<\/li>\n<li>Allow customizations based on the user\u2019s personal preferences.<\/li>\n<li>Allow users to re-order columns (incl. the Actions column).<\/li>\n<li>In forms, place action buttons next to the last user\u2019s interaction.<\/li>\n<li>Keyboard accessibility helps everyone move faster (<kbd>Esc<\/kbd>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"usability-guidelines-to-support-both-hands\">Usability Guidelines To Support Both Hands<\/h2>\n<p>As Ruben Babu <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@rubenbabu\/inclusivity-guide-usability-design-for-left-handedness-101-2bc0265ae21e\">writes<\/a>, we shouldn\u2019t design a fire extinguisher that can\u2019t be used by <strong>both hands<\/strong>. Think pull up and pull down, rather than swipe left or right. Minimize the distance to travel with the mouse. And when in doubt, <strong>align to the center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bottom left \u2192 better for lefties, bottom right \u2192 for righties.<\/li>\n<li>With magnifiers, users can\u2019t spot right-aligned buttons.<\/li>\n<li>On desktop, align buttons to the left\/middle, not right.<\/li>\n<li>On mobile, most people switch both hands when tapping.<\/li>\n<li>Key actions \u2192 put in middle half to two-thirds of the screen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n    break-out article__image\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/uxplanet.org\/discover-ux-flaws-with-the-opposite-handed-ux-test-e2543223d4a3?sk=v2%2Fa6e6c84e-e7ee-4115-8ff8-36a9a15b4cfb\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/4-left-handed-oil-test.jpg\" alt=\"How To Build Trust\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/uxplanet.org\/discover-ux-flaws-with-the-opposite-handed-ux-test-e2543223d4a3?sk=v2%2Fa6e6c84e-e7ee-4115-8ff8-36a9a15b4cfb\">Opposite-Handed UX test<\/a> can be helpful to test how good the UI is &mdash; also known as \u201cleft-handed oil test\u201d for physical products. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/designing-better-ux-left-handed-people\/4-left-handed-oil-test.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A simple way to test the mobile UI is by trying to use the <strong>opposite-handed UX test<\/strong>. For key flows, we try to complete them with your <strong>non-dominant hand<\/strong> and use the opposite hand to discover UX shortcomings.<\/p>\n<p>For physical products, you might try the <strong>oil test<\/strong>. It might be <a href=\"https:\/\/uxplanet.org\/discover-ux-flaws-with-the-opposite-handed-ux-test-e2543223d4a3?sk=v2%2Fa6e6c84e-e7ee-4115-8ff8-36a9a15b4cfb\">more effective than you might think<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"good-ux-works-for-both\">Good UX Works For Both<\/h2>\n<p>Our aim isn\u2019t to degrade the UX of right-handed users by meeting the needs of left-handed users. The aim is to create an <strong>accessible experience for everyone<\/strong>. Providing a better experience for left-handed people also benefits right-handed people who have a temporary arm disability.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s an often-repeated but also often-overlooked <strong>universal principle of usability<\/strong>: better accessibility is better for everyone, even if it might feel that it doesn\u2019t benefit you directly at the moment.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"useful-resources\">Useful Resources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/uxplanet.org\/discover-ux-flaws-with-the-opposite-handed-ux-test-e2543223d4a3?sk=v2%2Fa6e6c84e-e7ee-4115-8ff8-36a9a15b4cfb\">Discover Hidden UX Flaws With the Opposite-Handed UX Test<\/a>,\u201d by Jeff Huang<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/sparkbox.com\/foundry\/are_right_aligned_buttons_easier_for_right_handed_people_first_click_test_usibility_ux_research\">Right-Aligned Buttons Aren\u2019t More Efficient For Right-Handed People<\/a>,\u201d by Julia Y.<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\/articles\/accessible-tap-target-sizes\/\">Mobile Accessibility Target Sizes Cheatsheet<\/a>,\u201d by Vitaly Friedman<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/why-the-world-is-not-designed-for-left-handed-people-96bb5cf4c460?sk=v2%2F9daed92e-a991-4acd-aeba-8d228ee444da\">Why The World Is Not Designed For Left-Handed People<\/a>,\u201d by Elvis Hsiao<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@rubenbabu\/inclusivity-guide-usability-design-for-left-handedness-101-2bc0265ae21e\">Usability For Left Handedness 101<\/a>\u201d, by Ruben Babu<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smashingmagazine.com\/printed-books\/touch-design-for-mobile-interfaces\/\">Touch Design For Mobile Interfaces<\/a>, by Steven Hoober<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"meet-smart-interface-design-patterns\">Meet \u201cSmart Interface Design Patterns\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>You can find more details on <strong>design patterns and UX<\/strong> in <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\/\"><strong>Smart Interface Design Patterns<\/strong><\/a>, our <strong>15h-video course<\/strong> with 100s of practical examples from real-life projects &mdash; with a live UX training later this year. Everything from mega-dropdowns to complex enterprise tables &mdash; with 5 new segments added every year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jhZ3el3n-u0\">Jump to a free preview<\/a>. Use code <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\"><strong>BIRDIE<\/strong><\/a> to <strong>save 15%<\/strong> off.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin-bottom: 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border-radius: 11px\" width=\"950\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/archive.smashing.media\/assets\/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629\/7cc4e1de-6921-474e-a3fb-db4789fc13dd\/b4024b60-e627-177d-8bff-28441f810462.jpeg\" alt=\"Smart Interface Design Patterns\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">Meet <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.com\/\">Smart Interface Design Patterns<\/a>, our video course on interface design &amp; UX.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"book-cta__inverted\">\n<div class=\"book-cta\" data-handler=\"ContentTabs\" data-mq=\"(max-width: 480px)\">\n<nav class=\"content-tabs content-tabs--books\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"content-tab\"><a href=\"#\"><button class=\"btn btn--small btn--white btn--white--bordered\"><br \/>\nVideo + UX Training<\/button><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"content-tab\"><a href=\"#\"><button class=\"btn btn--small btn--white btn--white--bordered\">Video only<\/button><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"book-cta__col book-cta__hardcover content-tab--content\">\n<h3 class=\"book-cta__title\"><span>Video + UX Training<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"book-cta__price\"><span><span class=\"\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>495<span class=\"sup\">.00<\/span><\/span><\/span> <span class=\"book-cta__price--old\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>699<span class=\"sup\">.00<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3081832?price_id=3951439\" class=\"btn btn--full btn--medium btn--text-shadow\"><br \/>\nGet Video + UX Training<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"book-cta__desc\">25 video lessons (15h) + <a href=\"https:\/\/smashingconf.com\/online-workshops\/workshops\/vitaly-friedman-impact-design\/\">Live UX Training<\/a>.<br \/>100 days money-back-guarantee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"book-cta__col book-cta__ebook content-tab--content\">\n<h3 class=\"book-cta__title\"><span>Video only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-audience=\"anonymous free supporter\" data-remove=\"true\"><span class=\"book-cta__price\" data-handler=\"PriceTag\"><span><span class=\"\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>300<span class=\"sup\">.00<\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"book-cta__price--old\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>395<span class=\"sup\">.00<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3081832?price_id=3950630\" class=\"btn btn--full btn--medium btn--text-shadow\"><br \/>\nGet the video course<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"book-cta__desc\" data-audience=\"anonymous free supporter\" data-remove=\"true\">40 video lessons (15h). Updated yearly.<br \/>Also available as a <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3082557?price_id=3951421\">UX Bundle with 2 video courses.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"signature\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.smashingmagazine.com\/images\/logo\/logo--red.png\" alt=\"Smashing Editorial\" width=\"35\" height=\"46\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><br \/>\n  <span>(yk)<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >Designing Better UX For Left-Handed People Designing Better UX For Left-Handed People Vitaly Friedman 2025-07-25T15:00:00+00:00 2025-07-30T15:33:12+00:00 Many products &mdash;\u00a0digital and physical &mdash; are focused on \u201caverage\u201d users \u2014\u00a0a statistical representation of the user base, which often overlooks or dismisses anything that deviates from that average, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-accessibility"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":508,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507\/revisions\/508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.guupon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}