Put approval where it matters

Adding an approval button does not automatically make a process safe or useful. The reviewer needs to understand the proposed action and have a meaningful choice.

Place review before the consequence

Check a draft before it is sent or published. Show the destination, the content and the relevant inputs together. Review becomes less useful when someone sees only a vague success message after the action has already happened.

Make approval deliberate

Avoid treating an unanswered request or a preselected option as consent. The person should be able to edit, reject or ask for more information. Define who is responsible when a task remains pending.

Design for everyday use

Keep the review focused on the decision. Long, repetitive prompts can make people stop paying attention. Show what changed, what is uncertain and what will happen after approval.

A useful human review step helps someone make an informed decision. It belongs in the workflow plan, the interface and the final testing.