How to get users to read error messages?

Question

If you program for a nontechnical audience, you find yourself at a high risk that users will not read your carefully worded and enlightening error messages, but just click on the first button available with a shrug of frustration.

So, I'm wondering what good practices you can recommend to help users actually read your error message, instead of simply waiving it aside. Ideas I can think of would fall along the lines of:

• Formatting of course help; maybe a simple, short message, with a "learn more" button that leads to the longer, more detailed error message
• Have all error messages link to some section of the user guide (somewhat difficult to achieve)
• Just don't issue error messages, simply refuse to perform the task (a somewhat "Apple" way of handling user input)

Edit: the audience I have in mind is a rather broad user base that doesn't use the software too often and is not captive (i.e., no in-house software or narrow community). A more generic form of this question was asked on slashdot, so you may want to check there for some of the answers.

Answer 1

To start, write error messages that users can actually understand. "Error: 1023" is not good example. I think better way is logging the error, than showing it to the user with some "fancy" code. Or if logging is not possible, give the users proper way to send the error details to the support department.

Also, be short and clear enough. Do not include some technical details. Do not show them information that they cannot use. If possible provide a workaround for the error. If not provide a default route, that should be taken.

If your application is a web app, designing custom error pages is a good idea. They stress users less, take SO for example. You can get some ideas how to design a good error page here: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/07/25/wanted-your-404-error-pages/

Answer 2

Show them the message. Due dilligence and all, but log every error to a file. Users can't remember what they were doing or what the error message was seconds after the event, it's like eye-witness accounts of perpatrators.

Provide a good way to allow them to email or upload the log to you so that you can assist them in reconciling the issue. If it's a web application: even better, you can be receiving information about the situation ahead of anyone even reporting the problem.

Answer 3

One thing I'd like to add.

Use verbs for your action buttons to close your error messages rather than exclamations, example don't use "Ok!" "Close" etc.

Answer 4

From my experience: you don't get users (especially non-technical ones) to read error messages. No matter how clear and understandable, bold, red and flashing the message is, that you display, most users will just click anything away that they're not used to, even if it's "Do you really want to delete everything?". I have seen users click the "window close"-icon instead of "OK" or "cancel" even though they didn't even know which option they chose by doing so ...

If you really need to force users to read what you're displaying, I'd suggest a JavaScript-Countdown until a button is clickable. That way the user will hopefully use the waiting time to really read what he's supposed to. Be careful though: most users will be even more annoyed by that :)

I furthermore like your idea of a "read more"-link, although I doubt that will get users more interested that just want to get rid of the message by all means ...

Just for the record: there are users that DO read error messages but are so afraid that they won't do anything with it. I once had a support call where the customer would read an error message to me, asking me, what he should do. "Well, what are your options?", I asked. "The window only has an 'OK'-button.", he replied. ... mmh, hard one :)

Answer 5

Adding an "Advanced" button that enables some more technical details will provide an incentive to read it for the part of the target audience that thinks itself as technical

Answer 6

How about making the button state "Click here to speak with a support technician who will assist you with this issue."

There are many websites that provide the option to speak with a real person.