Gulf of Execution
The gulf of execution is the gap between what the user wants to do and what the interface makes possible or understandable.
Design Problem
The user asks: “How do I do this?”
If actions are hidden, unclear, or poorly labelled, the user cannot translate their goal into action.
Reduce the Gap With
- clear action labels
- visible controls
- predictable interaction patterns
- helpful defaults
- guided steps for complex tasks