User Experience
Design patterns
Freshness Warning
This blog post is over 23 years old. It's possible that the information you read below isn't current and the links no longer work.
17 Oct 2001
Design patterns are familiar conventions that get used in interactive design. A progress bar is familiar to users and helps them feel comfortable with your application because it lets them know that something is happening and gives them an idea how much longer it will take.
Martijn van Welie has compiled two excellent resources on patterns. One, Web Design Patterns, I linked to a few months ago, but bears repeating. The other is more oriented to desktop application design, but the lessons there are valuable to any application, Web or desktop. [via CamWorld]