""One of the biggest problems we have to be aware of is alarm fatigue." That warning from a product manager became my introduction to scalable design. The problem was deceptively simple: a single alert might be well-designed, but displaying ten of them on one screen would quickly overwhelm users, causing them to miss critical information. Here's a quick test for your interface. Show it to someone for two seconds and ask: "What needs attention first?""
"If they can't answer immediately, or if they point to something that isn't actually urgent, you have an attention problem. This isn't just about aesthetics. It's about function. When a technician sees 20 alerts that all look equally critical, each marked red with "high priority," how do they distinguish between "check this when you have time" and "run down the hall right now"?"
Alarm fatigue arises when multiple alerts overwhelm users and cause missed critical information. A single, well-designed alert can be effective, but many alerts on one screen rapidly reduce clarity and urgency. A two-second test—asking what needs attention first—reveals whether an interface directs attention to true priorities. If viewers cannot answer quickly or point to non-urgent items, the interface fails to convey urgency. Technicians facing numerous equally marked "high priority" alerts cannot reliably distinguish between low-urgency checks and emergencies. Human factors, arousal levels, and a U-shaped performance curve affect attention and design decisions.
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