What is the most intuitive way to highlight items which require attention or were updated since last log-in?

Question

We are writing an app that manages workflow processes. Users needs to be able to identify which task have been updated since their last log-in and which tasks require their input. The tasks are listed in a grid. There is also the added complexity of the tasks being updated by other users while the user is logged in. What would be an intuitive way to keep the user informed of the state of tasks?

I was thinking of using a orange dot next to tasks that require their input and bold-ing the text for tasks that have been updated since the previous log-in.

Answer 1

Try to use the Yellow Fade Technique (YFT), nifty way to make a spotlight on recently changed area. But the YFT can be indicated also for a case where the items are recently edited or updated.

Its also used here in stackexchange.

Next moving into another solution, where you may highlight the items with different color BG making the items prominent that they have been updated.

Also closest thing without a BG change but only by keeping the text bold, which is the way GMAIL handles items that have come in recently, which is once again a update on the inbox.

Unless the refresh happens in real-time, I believe the updates cannot be viewed by the logged in use, since their session will not be in real-time. If its real-time then the item needs to be treated in the same way as how GMAIL manages to bring in the new mail, while on clicking refresh.

Answer 2

• You could use the same idea that Facebook does with notifications. Show a message indicator as a dropdown menu which is great if you want to to track multiple to-do lists.
• Or show a list of recent changes since last visit on the home page.
• If the changes occur in real time also take advantage of the title tag so that people could see if something happens while they're working in another browser tab.

Answer 3

Most email shows unread email by using bold titles, and read email with normal titles. This might work in your case, too. Depending on the size of the grid, you may want some other way to announce that there are issues (with changes) that need attention, such as putting the orange ball (like the badge used in some applications) in a fixed location on the screen.

There are some other things you might consider, if the grid is so large that the updated items might be missed when simply glanced at. A show-next-issue button, or a filter to show only open issues may be useful.

Answer 4

The YFT Yellow Fade Technique is a nice way to highlight a single updated item, however it sounds like you could have multiple posts updated, and once the yellow has faded you will need another UI signal to show which posts are new.

Other ideas to highlight updated posts in the grid:

• You could use a thin orange border (1-2px) on the left of the post. Unread Google+ posts have a thin blue border. Post that are currently being edited could have dashed orange border.

• Use the top right corner of the post as the area for indicating updates and editing, in a similar way to that in which twitter displays a post you have retweeted. Use an orange corner to show a post that has been updated. And use and orange corner with an editing icon when the post is currently being edited.