Archive for the 'Errors' Category

Better User Experience With Meaningful Errors Messages

January 18th, 2008 Comments(0)

Giving users meaningful error messages is very important but, maybe, even more important to improve the user experience is to provide a solution to the error that is rising the error message.

"Give always an explanatory error message…"

It is very frustrating for users to get error messages and no way to solve the problem. Give always an explanatory error message and include in your design an obvious way to keep on with the process.

Lufthansa Ticket Reservation Message

 

Lufthansa, the airline, gave me the other day an example of poor web design. After choosing a flight I got the option to enter my frequent flyer username and password. The system didn’t recognize my username and asked me to "Create new user profile". Well, there was NO "Create new user profile" link on that page.

Lufthansa Detail Error Message

 

Improve usability and user experience with a web design that avoids error messages that tell the users that she was wrong and don’t provide solutions. More Design vs Art articles about error messages.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Meaningful Error Messages, Usability Issue

January 11th, 2008 Comments(0)

Reddit provides an example of poor usability during the site submission form. They try to make fun of users’ errors. If the user enters a wrong CAPTCHA the website displays a "your letters stink" message.

"websites should have meaningful and explanatory error messages…"

Even worse, the instructions of what to do with that weird image (many users don’t know what a CAPTCHA is) were inside the "human?" field, so after entering something there the instructions disappear.

Reddit Screenshot

 

Error messages are not something users like seeing. Usually they are frustrating, so websites should have meaningful and explanatory error messages, they should tell users how to resolve the problem. Remember that if your users are not allow to finish a process, you might be loosing money.

 

Reddit Your Letters Stink

Remember that after an error users usually want an explanatory message that helps them reach their goal (e.g. for example buying something at your site!)

  

Popularity: 8% [?]

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