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design
Foundations

Info messages

Something worth knowing, said without interrupting what the crew is doing.

On this page
Tide turning

High water 16:42 UTC. The current turns north in 2 hr 5 min and will set you toward the shore.

VOICE“High water at eighteen forty-two. The current turns north in about two hours.”
Information that helps the crew plan, delivered without asking for anything back.

An info message gives the crew something useful to know: a change coming, a reason behind something they see, a fact that helps them plan. It never asks for an action, and it never interrupts. If it needs an action, it is an attention message.

01Get to the pointLead with the fact. The crew reads it in passing and goes back to what they were doing.
02Say why it mattersOne clause on what it means for this vessel turns a fact into something the crew can use.
03Stay out of the wayInfo messages sit beside what they explain; a toast carries one only about something the crew just did, and leaves by itself. They never flash or make a sound.

Anatomy

  • Title (optional): the subject in a few words.
  • Body: the fact and why it matters. One or two sentences.
  • Action (optional): one link to learn more or open the related page. Never a required step.

Voice and tone

Do
Sunset at 19:48 UTC. Navigation lights switch on automatically at 19:30 UTC.
Lead with the fact and what it means for this vessel.
Don't
Heads up!Just so you know, it's going to get dark at some point this evening, so keep that in mind!
Don't bury the fact under a greeting, or make it sound urgent when it isn't.
Do
Speed through water is higher than speed over ground because of a 1.2 kn foul current.
Explain something the crew can see but might not understand.
Don't
Your depth is getting low.
Don't use an info message for something that needs action. That is an attention message.

Where info messages go

  • Inline, beside the value or control they explain.
  • On the situation board as an info-level item, without a severity shape, for conditions that matter to everyone on watch.
  • Spoken only when the crew asked a question, or when the fact changes what they are about to do.

Match the message to its scope

Use InlineMessage for one field's context, SectionMessage for a panel, and Banner for a condition affecting the whole view. A persistent note belongs near the content it explains. Avoid repeating the same notice in every row or turning routine updates into assertive announcements.

For a report, name the assumption or limitation and its effect on the conclusion. “Illustrative data” belongs beside the example; a source caveat belongs beside the affected measurement or figure. An informational note does not change the evidence or grant approval.