We only have so much patience for waiting, but as a product designer, it is inevitable that we put our users through the torture of endless wait as the system loads content and static resources.
What can we do to make the waiting process more tolerable? Progress bars and spinning dots are the most common indicators in a splash screen. It tells the user that the program is still working hard to load, and they should not reboot or close the page just yet.
Today, companies like Facebook and LinkedIn are also using something called the “Skeleton screen” to help users endure the waiting process.
When you try to open Facebook under a slow internet connection, a skeleton screen with frames that resemble the original UI layout. It gives the user an illusion that the content is being prepared, and the system has already loaded a fair share of the program.
Another good idea that helps to alleviate users’ anxiety while waiting is that you might need to tell the user what exactly is the program doing at the moment. For example, the Windows operating system will tell you exactly which file is being copied, and it gives the user an ETA on when the copying/pasting process might complete.
I hope this was helpful.
