Only Use Modal Views for Blocking Actions
A modal view—like a dialog box, or full-screen takeover—is just that: modal. The user is forced into a mode where they have to make a decision, and they can do nothing other than deal with the modal.
It breaks the user’s flow, and that can be a good thing for some actions—“are you sure you want to permanently delete all your stuff?” is a great example. But too often modals are thrown around with abandon and your customer needs to stop and deal with each one.
Dealing with the modal isn’t a zero-effort task; the user must:
- Switch out of the context they were working in
- Read the modal text
- Work out what to do, and how it will affect their current goal in the product
- Operate the modal
This extra cognitive load adds up, and too many modals (where there’s no need for them) will just infuriate your customers. Breaking a user’s flow unintentionally...
