Problem

The user needs to understand what the system can do.

Solution

Provide a brief introduction to overall system capabilities and/or to a specific feature.

Use when

• The user is not familiar with the type of system or feature.​​​​​​​
• It is desirable to help the user differentiate among similar systems or features.

How

Make the introduction brief: One sentence or less, consumable in less than 10 seconds.

Make the introduction clear and descriptive.

The introduction may be displayed:

• Next to the product or feature name in the actual product or an app store.
• In a user-input field.
• On the user’s initial interaction with a feature or product.
• At the beginning of each interaction with a feature or product.
• In a visible yet subtle manner.

Make the introduction easy to dismiss.

User benefits

• Helps the user to discover non-obvious system capabilities.

Common pitfalls

• The introduction portrays the AI system to be more capable than it is or mysterious and impossible to understand (e.g., “magic”).
• The introduction is catchy, but not descriptive of actual system capabilities.
• The introduction is in a hard-to-discover location.
• Repeated exposure to the introduction may frustrate the user.
• Certain UI displays may be subject to ad blindness.
• The pattern implementation creates expectations that the system can do more than it is capable.

Note: Over-inflated user expectations have been shown to cause frustration and even product abandonment.