Contextual Help Design

Design help that meets people where they are — on the screen they're stuck on, in language they understand, without requiring them to remember how they got there.

Core Principle

If a user gets stuck, they should be able to get help without leaving the screen they're on.

Design Patterns

Inline Help

• Tooltip or info icon next to fields that need explanation
• Examples shown next to input fields ("e.g., 15/03/2026")
• Help text visible by default for complex fields
• Inline definitions for specialist terms (underline + tooltip)
• "What's this?" links for uncommon concepts