Is This An Error?

Here’s a dialog box from Visual Studio 2008 Team System:

This begs the question: is this an error? No, it isn’t.

The last time I was giving my usability presentation at the Philly Code Camp, a gentlemen in the audience pointed out that messages displayed in red, the word “error” and aggressive visual cues tend to cause psychological distress to users, e.g. increase their heart rate. This is very true.

Something to keep in mind when designing UIs.

This is exacerbated by the fact that the windows error alert accompanies this message.

Very true. If it were a canned warning icon, it'd be forgivable.

No it isn't even close, it is an information message at best. The stupid thing about this alert box is that it breaks the user flow. I don't know who thought it was a great idea to give a different window for the same problem depending if you were clicking check-in from the solution or the source control explorer. I actually prefer the solution check-in where in brings up the standard window that visually shows nothing is able to be checked in, instead of the hard stop alert message saying no pending checkins.

Even worse is the case where you click check-in and you know you have pending check-ins and all that you hear is the alert message with out any kind of message. Then you go and perform the same check-in action again and it works as expected.

I really think the Microsoft team has to revisit this check-in procedure.