Error messages should be meaningful and helpful from "summary" of The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
When things go wrong, and they do so often, error messages are essential. They tell us what has happened and what to do about it. But all too often, they are worse than useless. They are designed by engineers, for engineers. They are filled with numbers, abbreviations, and jargon that mean little to the average person. What do you make of an error message that says “Error 37”? Or “Code 404”? Or “Warning: LBA 0x0C2F8C8”? Or “Cannot find server”? These are real error messages, and they are real examples of failures in design. They are not simple, clear, or coherent. They lack the logical sequencing needed to guide the user to a solution. They do not use transition words or phrases to help the user understand what has gone wrong and what to do next. They are inconsistent in tone and style, making it hard to discern the severity of the problem. And they often have poor grammar and syntax, adding to the confusion. To create meaningful and helpful error messages, designers must understand the context in which they will be encountered. They must use natural language that is familiar and eas...
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