appearsshould

Appearsshould is a neologism used in UX design discourse to describe the guideline governing when and how interface elements or content should become visible to users. It captures the idea that appearance must be purposeful and aligned with user tasks and contexts rather than decorative or arbitrary.

Etymology and scope: The word blends appear and should to convey a normative claim—that content should appear only if it adds value, reduces cognitive load, or supports a task. It is not an established standard, but a shorthand used in discussions about timing, visibility, and sequencing of UI elements.

Applications: In practice, appearsshould underpins practices such as progressive disclosure, context-aware reveals, and accessible animation. Content may appear in response to user actions, focused context, or completion of a prerequisite step. Transitions should be smooth and predictable to support learnability and reduce surprise.

Limitations: Because appearsshould is informal, its usage can be ambiguous across teams. It relies on clear criteria for when elements should appear and may conflict with other goals such as speed or aesthetics. It should be balanced with accessibility and performance considerations.

See also: progressive disclosure, progressive enhancement, user experience design, information architecture.