Faced with the realization that the user must be noti?¬?ed and that the noti?¬?cation
must be accomplished without causing irritation, a series of passive web page
visuals were created that simulate commonly found effects in desktop applications.
Two of these proved to be quite effective, providing the required noti?¬?cation
and opportunity to react when required (but also being easy to ignore).
The ?¬?rst is modeled after the information bar found in modern browsers??”the little
brightly colored bar across the top of the page that pops down when the user is
asked to acknowledge a situation that may be a security risk (see Figure 5-15).
The bar, colored purple, is a stark contrast to the web page and is designed to
catch the eye. The bar is animated so as to drop down into view, wait 15 seconds,
and then remove itself. The bar contains a small message, with optional
links to enable the user to take an action upon seeing it. The user can also click
the Xat the far right of the bar to dismiss it instantly.
The second was modeled after the ???toast??? (or desktop alert) that popular email
software pops up in a lower corner of the screen (see Figure 5-16). It, too, is animated
so as to catch the user??™s eye but not cause irritation.
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