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Modality 1:07
A 67-second explainer of Modality, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Modality demo
What this video covers
Modality is when an interface has modes - states in which the same action does different things, or in which you're locked into one task until you finish or cancel. A modal dialog that blocks the rest of the app, or a tool where the same click draws in one mode and erases in another, are both modal. Modes are powerful but cause "mode errors" when people forget which mode they're in.
When the mode was hidden, you forgot which one you were in and your click did the wrong thing - a classic mode error. Make the current mode loud and obvious, and the mistake vanishes. That's the trade with modality: modes let one control do many jobs, but every hidden mode is a trap. Show the mode, or design it away.
