The News ticker exists to serve an urgent or emergency need. It is not there to accommodate routine content. The component surfaces a single or small number of high-priority, time-sensitive messages that require elevated visibility. It draws user attention to content that is crucial and warrants placement above the rest of the page. It can cycle through items in a compact, animated format.
Do's
- keep messages short and self-contained
- include links, where relevant, to allow users to follow up on the highlighted information
- use consistently across the site or experience, where relevant. That way, users see the same message(s) regardless of the page they arrive on
- place the component as the first element on the page, above all other content
- reserve the component for critical content that demands high visibility. Over-usage may lead users to ignore the device
Don'ts
- do not use it for trivial, outdated, or low-priority information
- do not use the News ticker to present information that should be permanently visible on the page. If something must always be seen, it belongs in the body content, not a cycling ticker
- avoid changing content from page to page - inconsistency can cause message to be ignored and erode trust
When to use
- use when there's urgent or significant content that requires site-wide promotion
- use when you need to inform visitors of something time-sensitive they might otherwise miss in the regular page content
When not to use
- do not use when a Carousel is already present on the page - two components with moving elements will compete for attention
- do not use when for routine or non-urgent information. Instead, consider using the standard page content, Notifications, or Banners