Keeping response times short

In a mobile environment, the users' attention is easily diverted, and therefore users often do not tolerate long delays without any feedback. Mobile applications must respond to user actions faster than desktop computers. Provide users with immediate feedback, even though performing the actual operations may take a longer time.

Create a progress indicator to inform users that the application is loading data. For an example of how to create a progress indicator popup for a widget, see STEW: indicating progress.

Figure: Progress indicator

For general guidelines on acceptable response times on mobile devices, see Actions and feedback.