""One of the biggest problems we have to be aware of is alarm fatigue." That warning from a product manager became my introduction to scalable design. The problem was deceptively simple: a single alert might be well-designed, but displaying ten of them on one screen would quickly overwhelm users, causing them to miss critical information. Here's a quick test for your interface. Show it to someone for two seconds and ask: "What needs attention first?""
"If they can't answer immediately, or if they point to something that isn't actually urgent, you have an attention problem. This isn't just about aesthetics. It's about function. When a technician sees 20 alerts that all look equally critical, each marked red with "high priority," how do they distinguish between "check this when you have time" and "run down the hall right now"?"
Alarm fatigue happens when many alerts with similar visual urgency overwhelm users and obscure critical items. A single well-designed alert can be effective, but multiple simultaneous alerts create cognitive overload and missed priorities. A practical two-second test—showing the interface briefly and asking what needs attention first—reveals whether priority cues work. If observers cannot immediately identify the most urgent item, the interface fails to direct scarce attention. Effective scalable design clearly differentiates routine from emergency items so technicians can decide whether to address alerts later or respond immediately. Human factors and arousal influence how attention is allocated under load.
Read at Medium
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