Problem

The user needs to understand what the system can do.

Solution

Provide explanations that enable users to gain insights into system capabilities. Explanations help user understanding because they expose relationships between system inputs and outputs (see G11 patterns).

Use when

• The user is already familiar with the type of system or feature.
• The system is capable of generating explanations.
• See patterns G11 A-G for when to use each G11 pattern.

How

Use Guideline 11 patterns to explain why the system did what it did.

Provide insights into what the system can do by using G11-B: Global Explanations.

For providing insights into specific system behaviors, use G11-A, Local Explanations.

User benefits

• Minimizes the number of explanations throughout the system.
• Global explanations enable users to gain insights into both how the overall system works and what it can do.
• Local explanations support learning by doing: They enable the user to learn about system capabilities in the process of using the system.

Common pitfalls

• Low discoverability of explanations made available on request.
• Local explanations used alone may not provide a coherent view of what the system can do.
• Global explanations may exclude important system capabilities.
• Explanations that provide insights into a system’s granular behaviors may not make clear the system’s high-level capability.
• The pattern implementation creates expectations that the system can do more than it is capable.

Note: Over-inflated user expectations have been shown to cause frustration and even product abandonment.