IT Progress Indicators: Sense of Progress, Subjective Sense of Time, User Preference and the Perception of Process Duration

Introduction

Users of information technology (IT) often encounter “progress indicators” during their interactions. Progress indicators are graphics that appear on the computer screen as a user waits to complete a task, such as downloading a file, saving a file, or updating software. The purpose of progress indicators is to inform the user of the progress that is being made as the task moves toward completion. Progress indicators can take different forms, such as a spinning disk, a bar that moves across the screen, or a textual message (for example, “26% completed”) (Conrad, Couper, Tourangeau, & Peytchev, 2010; Cooper & Reiman, 2003; Galitz, 2007; Shniederman, Plaisant, Cohen, & Jacobs, 2009). Because they are common features in IT environments, it is important to understand the appropriate form, content, and movement patterns of progress indicators to maximize the quality of the user experience and effectiveness of their interactions (Shniederman et al., 2009; Villar, Callegaro, & Yang, 2013). This study applies theoretical models from psychology and reports experimental data to better understand the impact of progress-indicator design on the user experience.