21 documented entries 5 anti-pattern checks

Disclosure And Attention Management

Progressive disclosure, overlays, warnings, focus, and interruption management.

Browse all problem families
Pattern index

Compare nearby options before choosing

Open an entry for its decision rule, states, implementation contract, and source trail.

Accordion

A page has several related sections and users do not need all details visible at once.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardGrouped show-hide sections for related page content
Test in lab

Alert dialog

An urgent current-workflow condition requires acknowledgement, cancellation, retry, sign-out, review, or another explicit response before continuation.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
establishedBlocking urgent-response modal
Test in lab

Bottom sheet

Mobile users need extra contextual detail or controls while staying oriented to a map, feed, route, media item, or selected object.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardMobile bottom-anchored contextual overlay with detents
Test in lab

Carousel auto-advance without pause

Use this anti-pattern entry to audit or reject timed carousels that cannot provide immediate pause, stop, focus, hover, reduced-motion, and interaction-stability behavior.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
6
Trail checked
anti-patternAnti-pattern where timed carousel rotation changes visible content without user control
Test in lab

Context menu

Objects or selections have secondary commands that experienced users expect near the target.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardLocation-invoked contextual command menu
Test in lab

Details panel

Users repeatedly inspect selected records, tickets, alerts, files, assets, tasks, comments, or locations while staying in a work surface.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardPersistent selected-object inspection panel
Test in lab

Disclosure / details

One short supporting explanation belongs in place beside the content it clarifies.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
3
Trail checked
standardSingle in-place reveal for optional supporting content
Test in lab

Drawer

Users need to inspect object detail, metadata, comments, history, or light actions while staying on the current page.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardSupplemental edge panel for current-context detail or light actions
Test in lab

Drawer with no close or return path

Use this anti-pattern to review temporary drawers, inspectors, side sheets, and mobile drawer layouts for missing close and return behavior.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
6
Trail checked
anti-patternUnrecoverable drawer anti-pattern
Test in lab

Full-screen takeover

A temporary task needs the whole viewport for capture, immersive preview, focused setup, scanning, or dense editing.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
5
Trail checked
standardTemporary full-viewport modal task mode
Test in lab

Hover card

Users need to inspect object metadata before choosing whether to open a link, mention, file, row, issue, or reference.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardRich preview surface on hover or focus
Test in lab

Icon-only ambiguous action

Use this anti-pattern entry to audit toolbars, row actions, cards, command bars, mobile action sheets, and generated UIs with symbol-only controls.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
3
Trail checked
anti-patternAmbiguous action anti-pattern
Test in lab

Menu button

A local object or toolbar has three to eight secondary commands.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardButton-controlled popup menu of actions or links
Test in lab

Modal dialog

A short task must interrupt normal page interaction but should return users to the same context afterward.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardFocused modal task layer
Test in lab

Modal for nonblocking content

Use this anti-pattern to review informational dialogs, help popups, status popups, release-note prompts, marketing modals, and preview modals that interrupt work without a required decision.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
6
Trail checked
anti-patternUnnecessary modal interruption anti-pattern
Test in lab

Popover

A local control needs brief explanatory content or light editing while page context remains visible.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardSmall anchored contextual overlay
Test in lab

Preview panel

Users repeatedly inspect files, messages, PDFs, images, videos, audio, invoices, contracts, designs, or attachments from a list or grid.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
5
Trail checked
standardPersistent rendered-content preview pane
Test in lab

Progressive disclosure

The default task has a safe recommended path for most users.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
5
Trail checked
standardStaged reveal of advanced or secondary task complexity
Test in lab

Sheet

A user starts a short context-bound task that needs more room than a dialog but should not become a full page.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardAdaptive temporary sheet for a context-bound child task
Test in lab

Tooltip

A compact control needs a brief supplemental explanation.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
4
Trail checked
standardShort noninteractive description tied to a trigger
Test in lab

Tooltip-only required information

Use this anti-pattern entry to review forms, checkout, applications, settings, data tables, eligibility flows, upload flows, and disabled actions where required information is hidden in a tooltip.

Type
UI-UX
Sources
6
Trail checked
anti-patternRequired-content-hidden-in-tooltip anti-pattern
Test in lab

Saved items