UX Framework
Alerts
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Alerts

v2.0.2
Download UI Kit v1.9.0 Code

Presents important feedback or information to users either in response to their actions or upon page load.

Download UI Kit v1.9.0 Code

Usage Guidelines

Use global alerts for messages which are time sensitive but dismissible. The inline alerts may be used in this manner, or to provide more persistent information that relates to a particular region of the page.

Features

  • Both global and inline styles
  • Option for dynamic animation in response to user action
  • Error, information, and confirmation styles

Dependencies

Colors v2.1.0

Typography v2.0.0

Icons v2.1.0

Documents

UX Accessibility Checklist

Documentation Assets (Sketch)

Static Global Alert

When a message is displayed upon page load the alert will appear anchored in the upper left corner of the viewport or if on a mobile device the message will appear across the top of the viewport. (It will stay in place as the user scrolls the page.) Text in the upper left corner of desktop devices (rather than center) will help ensure screen magnification users do not miss the message upon page load.

This type of alert can always be dismissed by clicking on the close icon.

An example use case for this type of alert would be when the user clicks a confirmation link in their email which loads

The message should appear in the upper corner as part of the normal page load.

At responsive sizes the alert occupies the top part of the viewport.

Responsive popover alert.

Dynamic Global Alert

Alerts can also appear dynamically in response to user actions like submitting a form, choosing an option, or completing an assignment. In this case the alert will animate down from the top.

Try to use this alert style sparingly, as it is fairly interruptive. For keyboard interactions, focus will automatically move from where the user is working to this element.

Example use cases which justify this alert style include:

  • A user drops a student from a course roster, but the action fails due to a server error.
  • A user initiates a course copy action, which proceeds in the background while they go edit another course. A dynamic alert notifies them when the task finishes.
  • A user successfully edits an assignment, but due to backend limitations must be informed that it will take one hour before the changes are available to students.
  • A user edits some settings in one application and needs to be reminded that these changes will not automatically propagate to separate applications that are used as part of the same flow.

The animation for showing/dismissing a dynamic alert.

Inline Alert

The alert that applies to a specific task or section content will be displayed where the action occurred. These should only appear below the related content to preserve reading order.

Dismissing

By default the inline alert is also dismissable, but it can be made to display permanently if the information contained is persistently useful. An example would be a message saying that an email address hasn’t been confirmed yet.

The example of message appear below the content area.

Variants

Warning/Error
  • Use for negative messages such as a system error or an incorrectly user action
  • If the user needs to take some action in response to the error make sure to clearly state that.
Success
  • Use to tell user that a task has been completed successfully.
  • Use to let user know that everything is working property.
  • Example: Submitting a form, completing a quiz
Information
  • Use to inform the user about something relevant: to share tips or suggestions.
  • Example: Informing users that an email address hasn’t been verified yet

Redlines

Basic alert

Dimensions
  • Color bar is 3px wide
  • Horizontal and bottom padding is 28px (desktop)
Colors
Typography
“X” icons
  • Size close-sm-24
  • Note the “-sm” size of this icon is actually 12px square
  • Touch area 44x44
Alert/warning icons
Animation
  • Drop in uses an ease-in-out easing curve with a duration of 300ms
  • Slide out uses an ease-in easing curve with a duration of 200ms
Focus Behavior
  • Most alerts can just be announced by using ARIA alert roles and don’t need special focus treatment
  • If an alert is particularly important, focus should be moved to the first element of the alert (and restored to it’s original position upon dismissal)
  • Statically presented alerts should just be read and focused in the normal flow of the document

Global alerts

Dimensions
  • 580px wide at medium and larger breakpoints
  • 440px wide at small breakpoints
  • 100% width at extra small
Positioning
  • 32px down and right from the top left viewport corner at small and larger breakpoints
  • 36px from the top with 25px horizontal margins at extra small breakpoints

Popover alerts

Inline alerts

Dimensions
  • At medium and large breakpoints, should have a min width of 440px, may expand to fit the content area
  • 100% of content area at smaller breakpoints
Positioning
  • Left aligned within content area

Content(task) level alert

Changelog

2.0.2

  • TWEAKED: Copy in the dynamic alert animation

2.0.1

  • FIXED: Inconsistencies in the redlines

2.0.0

  • First rebranded version