Nielsen Visibility
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
$ aoe install @community/principle-nielsen-visibilityProjection
Always in _index.xml · the agent never has to ask for this.
NielsenVisibility [principle] v1.0.0
Nielsen Heuristic 1: the system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Loaded when retrieval picks the atom as adjacent / supporting.
NielsenVisibility [principle] v1.0.0
Nielsen Heuristic 1: the system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Meta
- License: LicenseRef-Citation-Only AND Apache-2.0
- License Provenance: package-authorship-claim
Attributed To
Jakob Nielsen, 1994
Applies To
- async operations: file uploads, form submissions, payments
- background processes: sync, indexing, AI generation
- navigation: indicating current location in a hierarchy
- multi-step workflows: showing progress and step count
- real-time data: dashboards, chats, collaborative editors
Counter Examples
- A form's Submit button that freezes with no loading state — users click repeatedly, causing duplicate submissions.
- A background data sync that silently fails — users work with stale data without knowing the fetch errored.
- A wizard-style checkout with no step indicator — users don't know if they are on step 2 of 3 or step 2 of 8.
Loaded when retrieval picks the atom as a focal / direct hit.
NielsenVisibility [principle] v1.0.0
Nielsen Heuristic 1: the system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Meta
- License: LicenseRef-Citation-Only AND Apache-2.0
- License Provenance: package-authorship-claim
Attributed To
Jakob Nielsen, 1994
Applies To
- async operations: file uploads, form submissions, payments
- background processes: sync, indexing, AI generation
- navigation: indicating current location in a hierarchy
- multi-step workflows: showing progress and step count
- real-time data: dashboards, chats, collaborative editors
Counter Examples
- A form's Submit button that freezes with no loading state — users click repeatedly, causing duplicate submissions.
- A background data sync that silently fails — users work with stale data without knowing the fetch errored.
- A wizard-style checkout with no step indicator — users don't know if they are on step 2 of 3 or step 2 of 8.
Sources
Examples
- Linear's progress bar during project import shows percentage + estimated time remaining — users know exactly how long to wait.
- Gmail's 'Sending…' → 'Message sent. Undo' sequence confirms the action completed and offers recovery in the same feedback moment.
- Figma's collaboration cursor labels show each collaborator's name in real time — the system status of 'who is here' is always visible.
Relations
related: [@community/principle-nielsen-error-recovery, @community/principle-nielsen-error-prevention, @community/anti-pattern-no-loading-state, @community/counter-example-button-no-loading, @community/example-stripe-payment-success, @community/example-vercel-analytics, @community/rule-loading-state-feedback]
Source
- Jakob Nielsen, 'Heuristic Evaluation', in Nielsen & Mack (eds.), Usability Inspection Methods (1994)
- https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/
Source
aoe-engine/examples/frontend-design/primes/compiled/@community/principle-nielsen-visibility/atom.yaml