VOL. III · CH. 3.25 · COMPONENT
Progress Indicators
Turning an unknown wait into a bounded, understandable one.
1 min read · 127 words
3.25.1Definition & Types
A progress indicator communicates how far along a process is. Determinate bars show a known percentage (file upload); indeterminate spinners signal ongoing activity with no known completion estimate.
3.25.2Common Mistakes
- Using an indeterminate spinner when actual progress data is available and could be shown determinately.
- A progress bar that stalls near completion with no explanation, eroding trust in the estimate.
3.25.3Best Practices
- Show determinate progress whenever the underlying process actually reports it.
- Pair long multi-step processes with a step indicator (e.g., "Step 2 of 4"), not just a single ambiguous bar.
ExampleMulti-step onboarding flows show a numbered step indicator rather than a single progress bar, because users tolerate a known number of remaining steps far better than an ambiguous percentage.