Usability Heuristic(guidelines) 1: Visibility of System Status

Heuristic principles are?rules of thumb or mental shortcuts that help people solve problems quickly and efficiently

Lets understand 1st principle: Visibility of System Status

What is Visibility of System Status?

In simple terms, this principle means that a system should always keep users informed about what’s going on. It does this by providing clear feedback within a reasonable time.

Imagine you’re at an elevator. You press the button, and it lights up. This light tells you, “Chill, buddy! The elevator’s coming!” Without that light, you’d be pressing the button like a maniac, wondering if the elevator got the memo. In software, it's the same deal!

Why is it Important?

This simple interaction builds trust between you and the system. Visible feedback makes users feel more in control of their actions

How to Implement it?

Provide Immediate Feedback: Whenever users perform an action, like pressing a button or uploading a file, the system should instantly acknowledge it.

This can be done with animations, color changes, or a quick message like “Item added to cart.”,

Use Visual Cues: Elements like progress bars, spinners, and status messages show users that the system is working on their request.

For instance, when uploading video on social media an app, a progress bar showing the percentage completed reassures users that things are moving along.

“Your cat video is uploading...”

Display Important Status Information: Persistent indicators like battery status, Wi-Fi connection, and system alerts are good examples.

These provide continuous visibility without overwhelming the user

In short, don’t leave users hanging. Keep them updated so they feel in control and confident.