Visibility and Feedback — Why Users Get Stuck

If your software sometimes has your teammates wondering “Did that go through?” — you may have a great opportunity to bring clarity, confidence, and efficiency through solid design.

A teammate sent a panicked message:
“Hey… I just submitted the invoice, but I can’t tell if it worked, and I don’t know how to be sure!”
She’d clicked the button. The form disappeared. But there was no confirmation, no high-five emoji.
Just… silence. 😶

Was it sent? Lost? Still saving?

In fact, it 𝘩𝘢𝘥 gone through. But the system didn’t indicate that. And in that awkward pause, #uncertainty set in.
Author Don Norman calls this a lack of #VisibilityAndFeedback — when a system doesn’t acknowledge that it heard you.
Great software is a conversation — users speak by clicking, dragging, submitting. But, the system needs to respond — and do it clearly.

In the physical world, we get feedback constantly:
• 🔒 A latch clicks
• 🛑 A brake light glows
• 🎚️ A switch gives resistance

Software should do the same:
• ✅ A dialog that says, “Saved!”
• 🔄 A loading indicator during long operations
• ✉️ An alert confirming that email was sent
• 📊 A real-time update on progress or status—not those infinite progress dialogs that never update

Without these, people double-click. Or refresh. Or open a ticket. And now you’ve got a bigger problem. 😬

Design Is a Conversation 💬

If your app goes quiet after someone clicks, it’s not mysterious — it’s broken. Users second-guess, hesitate, or try again. Or worse, they give up.

Think about your own apps.
Do they tell the user what’s happening?
Do they confirm what just happened?
Do they visibly respond to clicks, taps, and inputs?

Because guessing leads to #errors — and errors lead to cost.
What Business Leaders Need to Know 📉
These tiny signals might seem minor, but your team notices.

When feedback’s missing:
• 💸 #Productivity drops
• 🤷 #Confidence fades
• 📞 #Support costs rise

Feedback loops don’t just help users—they help your bottom line.

So next time you’re reviewing a system, ask:
Does it talk back? Or just ghost your users?

Next up: Mapping—Why People Click the Wrong Thing 🧭