Error messages
Sample details
- Project: Work-related, SaaS data encryption app, MVP Launch
- My Role: Sr. Technical Writer, UX Writer
- Tools: Figma, Microsoft Excel
Effective error message UX design explains why it occurred and then provides the next steps for users to fix the problem.
The examples on this page are the original, as it appeared in the application before the rewrite.
| Original | Rewrite | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Error Logging in. System cannot connect at this time | We're unable to sign you in because your account is deactivated. Contact your administrator to have it activated. | Displays when the user account is deactivated. | Tell the user that they must contact the user administrator to activate them in the portal. |
| Access denied to this resource. Please try again with an appropriate account. | You are not authorized to view this file. Do you want to request access from the file owner? | Displays when a non-authorized user tries to access an encrypted file. | Give the user the option to request access from the file owner. |
| Invalid/Unsupported file type. Please try again. | The file type format you entered for this directory service is incorrect. Try *.* for all file types or *.{file extension}, for example, *.docx or *.pdf. | Displays when the user enters the incorrect file type format to the directory service. | Give the user the valid file type formats. |