Dear Loading Spinner, We Need to Talk

Look, Spinner, we’ve been through a lot together…

I know you’re trying your best—endlessly twirling, patiently filling the void, bravely masking backend chaos like some overworked stagehand in a failing theater production.

But we both know it’s not working anymore.

At first, you were comforting. A symbol of something happening. Progress. Hope. A little wheel that said, “Hold on, friend. Answers are coming.” But now? Now you’re just… spinning. Forever. And users are catching on. They know your game. They know “loading” is code for “we have no idea what’s broken.”

Let’s be honest: you’ve become the digital equivalent of elevator music in a fire drill.

And while you were busy twirling your heart out, progress bars showed up—calm, structured, honest. Skeleton screens entered the chat with actual content placeholders, whispering “soon.” Meanwhile, you’re still in the corner doing interpretive dance and hoping nobody asks questions.

You’re not fooling anyone anymore. Users tap reload. They bounce. They spiral into existential dread while watching youspiral. That’s not UX—that’s Stockholm syndrome with a loading icon.

So here’s the deal. Either you evolve—maybe show actual feedback, get faster, give context—or we’re going to have to replace you with something that doesn’t induce panic.

It’s not you. It’s the fact you never finish anything.

Yours in lag,
A UX designer trying to delay the user’s inevitable rage-quit

Simon Sterne

Simon Sterne is a staff writer at WebdesignerDepot. He’s interested in technology, WordPress, and all things UX. In his spare time he enjoys photography.