Guidelines are based on scientific sources.
| Name | Warning Design Guidelines |
| Sources | (Bauer et al., 2013) |
| Synonyms | None |
| Context | Effective warning design in software “The purpose of these six recommendations is to help software designers in designing effective warning dialogs to be shown in a computer system. […] These recommendations should be applied as part of a systematic effort to design out or minimize the risks to user’s safety and privacy, like the “Human Threat Identification and Mitigation Process” described by Cranor (Cranor, 2008). The first four recommendations are general, and should be applicable in any situation wherein a warning is needed. The last two may help improve warnings in more specific situations.” (Bauer et al., 2013) |
| Item 1 | Describe the risk comprehensively. “Warnings are meant to alert the user of an impending risk to her information or her identity. Whenever a warning is used, the risk that motivates the usage of a warning should be identified and presented clearly.” [Principle] Clarity [Pattern] Conveying Threats & Consequences |
| Item 2 | Be concise and accurate. “Warnings always interrupt the user. If too long, overly technical, inaccurate, or ambiguous, a warning will simply be discarded and its purpose will be lost.” [Principle] Convenience [Pattern] Providing Recommendations |
| Item 3 | Offer meaningful options. “Warnings should present understandable choices, and enough information to decide between them.” [Principle] Understandability [Pattern] Attractive Options |
| Item 4 | Present relevant contextual information. “In most contexts that require a warning to be shown, a computer or software system cannot make a decision on behalf of the user. Warnings should present relevant contextual information that allows the user to make an informed decision.” |
| Item 5 | Present relevant auditing information. “In some contexts, actions have been performed in the past that may help a user understand the risks associated with the choice she needs to make. In such cases, relevant auditing information should be presented.” |
| Item 6 | Follow a consistent layout. “Warnings that follow a common visual layout can be recognized faster. We suggest a common layout based on the Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) of the most broadly used operating systems.” [Principle] Consistent Controls and Placement |
| Examples | See (Bauer et al., 2013) |
| Related Guidelines | Guidelines used to redesign warnings Recommendations for improving the design of phishing indicators Warning Design Guidelines |
| Tags | Warnings |
| Log history | [10/26/2016]: Added to repository [01/30/2019]: Formal guideline revision |
Bauer, L., Bravo-Lillo, C., Cranor, L.F., Fragkaki, E., 2013. Warning Design Guidelines (CMU-CyLab-13-002).
Cranor, L.F., 2008. A Framework for Reasoning About the Human in the Loop, in: Proceedings of the 1st Conference on Usability, Psychology, and Security, UPSEC’08. USENIX Association, Berkeley, CA, USA, pp. 1:1–1:15.