Design Principle
Error messages are not punishment; they guide users toward completion.
Principle
Error messages are not punishment; they guide users toward completion.
Design action
Each field needs label, help text, error text, and visible focus; submit buttons should show loading, success, and error states.
Examples
Positive example: Submission, login, edit, filter, and payment forms. Counterexample: Only a generic error appears at page bottom.
Apply when
Submission, login, edit, filter, and payment forms. Fields have format, permission, or required constraints.
Source notes
Source note: Synthesized from W3C WCAG 2.2, Apple Accessibility, IBM Carbon Accessibility, and accessibility practices in major design systems. WCAG 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ WCAG Contrast Minimum: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html WCAG Non-text Contrast: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html Apple HIG Accessibility: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/accessibility Carbon Accessibility Overview: https://carbondesignsystem.com/guidelines/accessibility/overview/
Agent Directive
Each field needs label, help text, error text, and visible focus; submit buttons should show loading, success, and error states.