Skills (progress bars)

Progress bars are good at showing progress. For skills they mostly invent precision that doesn't exist.

Sketch of text beside four horizontal progress bars

The widget

The free Progress Bar widget draws a labelled bar filled to a percentage, with an optional inner text and an animation when it scrolls into view. Several in a column form the typical "skills" block.

Good uses

  • Fundraising or project progress ("62% of the roof repaired").
  • Survey results or shares ("78% of clients book again").
  • Steps of a process the visitor is in.

Better for skills

"Photoshop 85%" leaves the reader guessing. Replace bars with an Icon List of concrete facts: tools used daily, years of experience, certifications, sample projects. If you keep bars, make sure the label and value are text (they are, with this widget) so screen readers announce them.