Problem

The user needs to occasionally be reminded of consequential past actions.

Solution

Inform the user of consequential actions taken in the past and offer the option to undo or keep those actions.

Use when

• It is important for the user to be able to reconfirm or undo a past action that has current consequences for system behavior.
• User actions (explicit or implicit feedback) impact the decisions made by the AI.

How

Inform the user of:

• The current consequences of a past action.
• How the user can undo the past action.
• Optional: What action the user took in the past.

When to show notifications:

• When the user engages in an activity that is subject to consequences of a past action
• When the system takes an action that is subject to consequences of a past user action

Match the communication’s attention-getting characteristics to the severity of the consequences.

User benefits

• Gives the user a chance to revisit and reconsider previous decisions.

Common pitfalls

• It is not clear to the user how to undo the past action.

Keep in mind that asking for reconfirmation for actions can be disruptive if overdone or shown at a time when it is contextually irrelevant.

​​​​​​​​​​​​Related patterns

See Guideline 3, Time services based on context.