Nielsen heuristic · Nielsen's Heuristics
Visibility of system status
Always show people what is happening, ideally within a second.
See it
Spot the problem
Why it matters
Always keep users informed. A progress bar or spinner within 1 second tells them the system is working, so they don't click again or leave.
How to apply it
- Show spinners or progress bars for anything slow
- Confirm when something is saved or sent
- Show the current step in multi-step flows
Common mistakes
- Buttons that do nothing visible when clicked
- Silent failures
Quick answers
What is Visibility of system status in Nielsen's heuristics?
Always show people what is happening, ideally within a second. Always keep users informed. A progress bar or spinner within 1 second tells them the system is working, so they don't click again or leave.
How do I apply Visibility of system status in UI design?
Show spinners or progress bars for anything slow. Confirm when something is saved or sent. Show the current step in multi-step flows.
What are common mistakes with Visibility of system status?
Buttons that do nothing visible when clicked. Silent failures.