The many, many dialogs that underpin an application like SugarSync can seem, at times to be the very essence of the designed experience. They guide, reassure, inform, sell, etc. enabling customers to make the most of this high productivity app.

All the universal rules apply to dialog design–restrictive canvas, end user prejudice, technical limitations, ever-shifting UX models, varying platform/purpose, etc. This is a microcosm of screen design that requires all the skills at a designer’s disposal.

Here’s what I’ve learned: if you make your dialogs consistent, inviting, simple, engaging, satisfying, considerate, comprehensible and ultimately very useful they will not get dismissed as unnecessary UI noise.

Here are some on-boarding dialogs from our desktop app installation flow: