They help the user to stay focused, informed and provides relevant signposting and feedback. Ensuring that these are displayed to a user in a timely manner reduces the chance that a key message or signpost will be ignored or so much so that it becomes a distraction. Not doing so has a negative impact in the way users achieve their goals and how they seek to clarify what they are trying to achieve.
Informing the user should depend on the following to provide relevancy to their end goal;
- The type of information being communicated
- The urgency of the situation or information
- The emphasis in the way it will be perceived; Positive, negative or neutral
- The associated actions that are needed
They must also be:
- Useful and meaningful defaults must be set to avoid hindering users
- A message must be specific and relevant to its context
- A message must be clear and succinct
- Messages must not distract or confuse
Indicators
Indicators provide feedback to the user that something has been applied or is now relevant because of an event or state change applied to the session, or as part of a journey. Indicators convey the smallest amount of the information possible the user to understand why it is relevant. Context is an important factor in highlighting these to the user and they should be used on their own. By their nature they provide supplementary information about a dynamic piece of content or UI under specific conditions.Indicators are conditional; they are only visible when something has happened or if a condition is met; this may be time-based, benefit-based
Indicators are conditional. Only make them visible when something has happened or if a condition is met. For example, this may be time-based or benefits led. Indicators are contextual. Position these next to or in very proximity to the element or stage that they relate to. By their nature they are passive; the user does not need to take any further action and they serve as a cue.
Other examples include;
- Showing condition that has effect a price; for example, a discount has been applied
- Showing a additional benefit; for example, get something for free
- Recommending that something is the most popular
- Social validation; for example, ‘100 users have booked this room’
Indicators can be numbers, single words or short sentences.
Notifications
Notifications serve to make the user aware of additional information which is supplementary to their end goal or intended outcome. Notifications apply to a past or current state and are not triggered by direct action from the user. Notifications are still conditional and can be passive if only to communicate information. Notifications can be device agnostic or device specific in terms of Android or iOS devices. Usually notifications are linked to system-level conditions or events.
Notifications are used to bring the user’s attention to a significant event as well as to highlight additional benefits of an event to the user. They should be used to communicate a standard or expectation and are not triggered by user interaction. Remember if poorly executed they can be incredibly intrusive.
More examples are;
- A cookie policy applies
- Emergencies or exceptional events; as disruptions or natural disasters
- Time-based events; your flight has been delayed
- Onboarding or promoting ‘hidden’ functionality; Switch on location services, switch on push notifications
Simply put they should convey information that is applicable because of a past event that now applies. They can, but not always invite an action or can be passive but they should always be dismissible. Remember too that notifications can also appear as a device specific message in the UI as well; for example, iOS or Android.
Confirmation and error messages
Every design knows that these are messages that appear after an action to confirm that it was successful or in some cases to intercept the user. Confirmation messages come in two types; with call-to-actions and without calls to action. Messages should always be provided within the context of what the user is trying to achieve; usually at the top of the page in the context of a page title, which reminds the user of what they are trying to achieve.
Confirmation messages without calls to action
Confirmation messages simply feedback to the user that an action has successfully been undertaken. For example, confirmation that a booking has been made, or that a message has been sent. Confirmation messages are always positive, regardless of the experience.
Confirmation messages with calls to action
Interruptions to a user journey should be used sparingly, and only where continuing with an action could lead to a significant change in status or initiates an action that could be unwanted. For example, if a user wishes to cancel or update their booking. In this case the user will need to reaffirm that this is the outcome that is expected.
The reasons why this might occur can be summarised as one of the following reasons:
- To highlight an action or need in the context of what the user is trying to achieve
- To showcase a benefit that the users may not be aware of
- To confirm that the user wants to go ahead with the changes that they have made
Content
Good content is served to users in a timely manner that is relevant to their needs or goals. Where content differs from confirmation messages, indicators or notifications is that it does not assert or ratify a condition. Content supports and qualifies expectations in another context; usually where it is yet to be confirmed, more over in the future. The nature of the content needs to determine the benefit that will be provided.
Some examples of these are:
Instructions
Instructions provide the user with guidance towards and end state that cannot be fulfilled immediately or through a digital experience. This could show what is needed to rectify a charge or a deposit. Instructions should be succinct and should not overwhelm the user. Instructions should convey the minimum amount of information to provide the user with the immediate next step; ideally with a description of the benefit and outcome for the user. Instructions should normally be used in conjunction with a confirmation message; once an action has been undertaken.
Policies
A policy is a course of action or an action which will be applied, usually immediate after or in the future context of an event. For example; how will a deposit be collected and returned to the user. A policy tends to be neutral in its tone.
Terms and conditions
Terms and conditions set pre-conditions of the state of an action; these will apply. Sometimes an action needs to be associated with statement to ensure that they user has understood that these terms will apply to an event; for example, a booking.
In terms of defining what content should do the job of, it should;
- Conveying information that is relevant in a future state or a state that is immediately applicable once an action has been taken.
- Content should not be dismissible; they are consistent in the context of the page
- Content should also not contain any additional actions; although links to further content is recommended where it is applicable
- Ideally content should be self-contained, useful, relevant, representative and complete
I have not mentioned promotional content on purpose, and I have also chosen to stay away from form field validation which for the purposes of trying to convey status in my mind is more about interaction design and is supposed to outside of the remit of this article.
These definitions above are just some of the ways in which we can think of serving content in different ways ultimately to provide useful ways to direct the user. After all, even though (through my own testing) users mostly react rather read in the majority of cases, when they do get stuck or do need to stop to read, words and numbers should direct rather than hinder. That sometimes is a difficult balance to acheive in designing an experience especially when we think that we must be completely transparent to the user at all times. As with comedy, a great experience is sometimes simply a question of timing.
Frazer Cooper 