- Progressive disclosure is the default pattern. Show the core path; reveal complexity on demand.
- Prefer inline validation over modal errors. Catch problems where they happen; on submit, focus the first error.
- Lead with the user's next action in empty states, errors, and onboarding. No dead ends: every screen offers a next step or recovery path.
- Sensible defaults over decisions. Every choice you remove is a gift of time.
- Forgiveness by design. Undo over confirm where reversible; confirm with plain consequences where not (CMP-2). Warn before navigation when unsaved data could be lost.
- Quiet feedback. Non-intrusive confirmation; reserve interruptions for genuinely blocking moments. Complex multi-section tasks get a page, not a modal (SLP-10).
- All states designed. Empty, sparse, dense, loading, and error states for every view (CMP-3). Skeletons mirror final content to avoid layout shift.
- Respect the seasonal rhythm. Workflows spike at predictable times, such as deadlines and reporting periods. Design for the stressed week, not the average one.
Interaction
How a screen responds decides whether a person feels in control or ambushed. Show the core path first; make every action easy to undo.
In the catalogue
- CMP-2Destructive actions show consequences before executing and offer undo or explicit confirmationL0
- CMP-3Every async transaction has visible loading, success, and error statesL1
- CMP-8A multi-step or data-entry task offers a non-destructive exit at every step, and in-progress work is preserved or explicitly discarded on interruption — never silently lostL1