The principle that a design should always keep people informed about what is going on, through clear and timely signals like progress bars, unread counts, or connection indicators. People should never have to wonder what the system is doing.
Synonyms
- system status visibility
Related terms
In plain words
- always showing the user what's happening
- keeping people in the loop about what the app is doing
Usage example
A step indicator at the top of the checkout gave visibility of system status by showing which stage you were on.
Don't confuse with…
- feedbackVisibility of system status is the ongoing sense of state; feedback is the direct reaction to one action you just took.
Categories
- Usability principles