Skeleton Screens vs. Progress Bars vs. Spinners

Summary

This video explores the different types of loading indicators: skeleton screens, spinners, and progress bars, and their ideal usage in user experience design. Skeleton screens, resembling wireframes, are best for full-page loads between 2-10 seconds, while spinners are ideal for loading individual elements like videos or dashboard cards. Progress bars, on the other hand, should be used for processes lasting more than 10 seconds, as they provide users with a clear sense of time. The goal is to keep users engaged and informed, ensuring a seamless experience during loading times.

Takeaways

• ⏳ Waiting for a webpage or process to load can feel long, and loading indicators like skeleton screens, progress bars, and spinners help show system activity.
• 🖼️ Skeleton screens are wireframe-like visuals that mimic the page layout, signaling that a page is loading and are best used for full page loads.
• ⏱️ Skeleton screens should only be used when the load time is between 2 to 10 seconds.
• 🔄 Spinners or wait animations show isolated elements repeating the same motion and are best used for specific modules like a video or a card on a dashboard.
• 📊 Spinners are effective for isolated content elements and should be used when the wait time is under 10 seconds, just like skeleton screens.
• 🧠 Skeleton screens reduce cognitive load by preventing users from staring at a blank page and create an illusion of faster load times.
• 🔁 Spinners lack the ability to reduce cognitive load and are better suited for smaller sections of a webpage rather than the entire page.
• 📈 Progress bars indicate the progression of an operation, like file uploads or downloads, and are essential for processes taking longer than 10 seconds.
• ⌛ Progress bars provide users with an estimate of how much longer they need to wait, making them useful for longer load times.
• 🎯 Choosing between skeleton screens, spinners, and progress bars depends on the load time and type of content being displayed, ensuring a smoother user experience.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of skeleton screens?

Skeleton screens are wire-like visuals that mimic the layout of a page and are used to indicate that a page is loading. They help reduce cognitive load by giving the appearance that the content is gradually loading.

When should skeleton screens be used?

Skeleton screens should be used when a full page load takes between two to ten seconds. They are particularly useful for full page loads rather than individual elements.

What are spinners or wait animations typically used for?

Spinners or wait animations are best used for isolated elements on a webpage, such as a single video or card on a dashboard, rather than for full page loads.

How do skeleton screens and spinners differ in terms of user experience?

Skeleton screens reduce cognitive load by giving users the sense that the page is gradually transitioning into its final form, whereas spinners simply indicate that data is being loaded without providing this visual structure.

When should you avoid using spinners or skeleton screens?

Both spinners and skeleton screens should be avoided if the page load or data retrieval time exceeds 10 seconds. In these cases, a progress bar should be used instead.

What is the primary advantage of using a progress bar over a spinner or skeleton screen?

Progress bars provide users with a clear indication of how long they need to wait by showing the progression of the operation, making them ideal for processes that take more than 10 seconds.

When is it best to use progress bars?

Progress bars should be used for process-related indicators, such as file uploads or downloads, where it’s important to show the user how much time remains for the operation to complete.

Why do skeleton screens create an illusion of shorter waiting times?

Skeleton screens create an illusion of shorter waiting times because they display a wireframe of the page, which makes users feel like the page is gradually loading, rather than waiting for a blank screen to fully populate with content.

Why are spinners not ideal for full page loads?

Spinners are not ideal for full page loads because they don’t provide any structural cues about the page layout, which can increase the user’s cognitive load and create a more frustrating waiting experience.

What is the main goal when using loading indicators like skeleton screens, spinners, or progress bars?

The main goal is to keep users informed and engaged during loading times, ensuring they have a seamless experience while waiting for content or processes to load.