visual cue

Something you notice

A visual cue is something you see that prompts a response or conveys information—a signal received through sight rather than sound, touch, or other senses.

Traffic lights give visual cues to drivers.

Actors watch for visual cues from directors.

In design and interface work, visual cues guide users toward intended actions: The blinking icon is a visual cue to click here.

signalMessage-conveying cue
eye contactDirect visual connection
hintIndirect suggestion
subtle hintIndirect, understated indication
gestureCommunicative body movement

glance · prompt · indicator · flash · nod · symbol · red flag · marker · sign · eyeline · body language · spotlight · arrow · highlight · catch the eye · beacon · flashing light · trigger

Categories

visual aidspicture, pictures, photo, photos, image
cuesprompt, hint, signal
promptsprompt, prompts, prompting, hint, suggestion
memoryremember, forget, recall, memorize, recollect
system alertsalert, notification, warning, error message, system alert

Opposites

sensory modality

visual cueaudio cue

Audible prompt or trigger

sound cue · verbal cue · voice prompt · audio signal

explicitness of signal

visual cueblind spot

Area of blocked perception

explicitness of communication

visual cueintuition

Instinctive immediate understanding

instinct

Family

visual, visually, visualize, visualization, vision, visionary, visible, visibility, invisible

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G