In my work we are dealing with the monitor UI used by operators in construction machines. In the monitor UI there is this area showing an array of icons that can be expanded into banners. As time goes by and features increase, this area became a big pockets for:
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Warning such as “Low Battery” or “Overloaded”
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Messages such as reminders for oil exchange.
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Messages when some feature is activated.
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Incoming phone call
Sadly none of them is well served by this single mechanism. Warning and alerts are mixed with other unimportant messages. Instant info like incoming phone call and action feedback are mixed with reminders which are usually meant to be checked later.
How could we improve this UI? Though tempting it is to collect all these banners into a notification center (NC) like the one in smartphone, we should realize these banners are actually different information types with distinct properties.
Time-wise, they fall into 3 categories:
1. (Persist) Realtime status: for example, those fuel gauge, speed meter and seatbelt lamp on classic car dashboard, the battery percentage, wifi connectivity on your computer screen. Checking them is like checking the appearance of a hammer to see if there is loosed nail or broken wood.
2. (Instant) Action feedback: machine’s response to our action. For example the winker sound and lamp on a car, the visual popup when you adjust the sound volume of your smartphone. Note that these kind of feedback are not the main output, they are instant side effect. They are like the sound and vibration you feel when using the hammer. They help you judge if the nails are taking your knock good, if your hammer is connected tightly.
3. (Historical) Notifications: a reminder of past events which are still valid and worth users’ reaction. For example, ….messages you missed, a reminder to buy milk. When you first received a message, it appears as a banner. After you missed it, it goes to notification center. Behind the notification, there is always a human.
(Historical) Notifications might be best put in NC because NC has the nature of listing information in chronological order. Realtime status and Action Feedback do not really fit into this nature. For them what has happened in the past is less important than what is happening. Being organized in chronological order does not add any value. Instead, being organized in spatial order — same info appears at the same location — does help user to locate and remember them.
Realtime status should be shown in fixed location without being hidden now and then. Realtime status won’t work if it cannot be constantly monitored. Knowing the Wifi is connected is as important as knowing the Wifi is not connected. For info of less importance, they can be put inside some submenu page.
Action feedback should be shown instantly in bold graphic or sound. Action feedback won’t work if it is ignored by user or shown with a time lag. That’s why turning light sound is necessary in automobile. (*Phone call is a little special, it is a realtime status that cannot be ignored by user)
So, be careful with the freedom of expression on full LED display — a white canvas where you could put anything on it. As UI designers, it is our duty to construct the UI so that information of different time property will be present to users in the best way.