Notifying the user

Figure 1. Alert

Summary:

Alerts.
Inform the user about:
- New events.
- Successful or failed operations within the application.
- Errors.
- Completed processes.
Use notifications to tell the user when an important event has taken place, there has been a change in state, or progress has been completed.

Java:

Releated design guidelines:

Patterns

Timed Alert, no commands
Figure 2. Alert to show an action has been completed	Used to give instant feedback about an operation in case it's not self-evident from the returning state that the action has been successful. No user interaction needed; the Alert dismisses automatically after a time out. User can still dismiss the Alert before time out by tapping on or outside the pop-up. Example: user has added a new note in a note list. The timed Alert tells the user that the operation was successful, and then the user can be either returned to the list (of all notes), or to see the just added note in a read-only view. See Alerts and pop-up lists for more information.

Timed Alert, no commands

Figure 2. Alert to show an action has been completed

Used to give instant feedback about an operation in case it's not self-evident from the returning state that the action has been successful.
No user interaction needed; the Alert dismisses automatically after a time out.
- User can still dismiss the Alert before time out by tapping on or outside the pop-up.
Example: user has added a new note in a note list. The timed Alert tells the user that the operation was successful, and then the user can be either returned to the list (of all notes), or to see the just added note in a read-only view.
See Alerts and pop-up lists for more information.

Alert, one command
Figure 3. Response note to ensure acknowledgement	Used to ensure that the user has had time to read the notification. Has one command 'OK' that dismisses the Alert. Example: user tries to access files on memory card but memory card is not in the phone. The Alert for inserting memory card is shown with 'OK' button. After pressing 'OK' the user is taken to the state prior to the attempt to access memory card files. See Alerts and pop-up lists for more information.

Alert, one command

Figure 3. Response note to ensure acknowledgement

Used to ensure that the user has had time to read the notification.
Has one command 'OK' that dismisses the Alert.
Example: user tries to access files on memory card but memory card is not in the phone. The Alert for inserting memory card is shown with 'OK' button. After pressing 'OK' the user is taken to the state prior to the attempt to access memory card files.
See Alerts and pop-up lists for more information.

Alert, two or three commands
Figure 4. Confirmation query to continue the flow	Used to ask the user to confirm whether to continue the flow, or to cancel the initiated action. When confirming deletion, the confirmation is triggered with action button 1 press. "Delete selected three items? Delete / Cancel" Delete completes the deletion and takes the user to an updated view with the selected items deleted. Cancel aborts the deletion and takes the user to the selection state (from where they can change the selections or cancel from the Delete state). When confirming changes to a form, the Alert is triggered with back button press. "Changes not saved. Close anyway? Yes / No" Yes closes the view and discards the changes. No takes the user back to the form from where the user can do more changes or press on action button 1 to save the changes (and close the view). See Alerts and pop-up lists and Handling multiple items for more information.

Alert, two or three commands

Figure 4. Confirmation query to continue the flow

Used to ask the user to confirm whether to continue the flow, or to cancel the initiated action.
When confirming deletion, the confirmation is triggered with action button 1 press.
- "Delete selected three items? Delete / Cancel"
- Delete completes the deletion and takes the user to an updated view with the selected items deleted.
- Cancel aborts the deletion and takes the user to the selection state (from where they can change the selections or cancel from the Delete state).
When confirming changes to a form, the Alert is triggered with back button press.
- "Changes not saved. Close anyway? Yes / No"
- Yes closes the view and discards the changes.
- No takes the user back to the form from where the user can do more changes or press on action button 1 to save the changes (and close the view).
See Alerts and pop-up lists and Handling multiple items for more information.

Gauges
Figure 5. Determinate progress indicator	Whenever an action takes more than 1 second, some kind of progress indicator should be shown. Determinate progress indicator if process may take longer than 10 seconds. Indeterminate progress indicator if process takes less than 10 seconds. When using a Gauge in an Alert: Use "Cancel" to stop the process and discard all changes made by the process. Use "Quit" to stop the process but to keep all the changes made by the process. See Progress indication and Gauges for more information.

Gauges

Figure 5. Determinate progress indicator

Whenever an action takes more than 1 second, some kind of progress indicator should be shown.
- Determinate progress indicator if process may take longer than 10 seconds.
- Indeterminate progress indicator if process takes less than 10 seconds.
When using a Gauge in an Alert:
- Use "Cancel" to stop the process and discard all changes made by the process.
- Use "Quit" to stop the process but to keep all the changes made by the process.
See Progress indication and Gauges for more information.