Plan a status display for one task at a time

Desk Terminal is a small desktop-style display that can be considered for a focused status view through a supported integration. Showing one task at a time can make limited screen space easier to use. The important design choice is how that task is selected and how updates remain attached to it. A quiet change of scope can make an otherwise accurate result misleading.

How should the active task be chosen?

Use an explicit selection in the companion software or a documented rule that matches your workflow. Examples of rules include a named run you are waiting for or the current task in a selected project. Make the rule visible so the user understands what the screen follows.

Keep the task's stable identity and attempt rather than only a display name. A later retry can share the same title while representing different work. Decide whether the view follows that retry automatically or waits for another deliberate selection, and label the resulting scope clearly.

What should remain visible while you wait?

Show the selected task, current interpreted state and age of the supporting evidence. A short next-action hint can help when the task pauses for input or finishes ready for review. Keep detailed logs and controls in the main source interface.

Do not imply success merely because the task is no longer running. Distinguish completion from outcome and any required human review. If the physical layout cannot explain every state comfortably, simplify the cue and provide a companion reference for the details.

How are irrelevant updates handled?

Compare incoming events with the selected identity before changing the view. A valid event from another task should not take over the display solely because it arrived most recently. Log deliberate exclusions differently from parsing or source errors.

Handle old events from the selected task using the source's ordering semantics. If a newer state is already established, a delayed earlier update should not make the task appear to resume. When ordering is uncertain, reconcile with the source where possible and keep uncertainty visible if that check fails.

What should happen when selection changes?

Clear or visibly replace the previous task context before presenting a new result. Avoid showing the new title with the old task's success state during loading. Treat the new selection as awaiting evidence until its own state has been obtained.

Test selection changes during processing, after completion and while the source is unavailable. The Desk Terminal hardware overview describes the device; a reliable single-task dashboard requires confirmed rendering support and software rules that keep identity, result and freshness together.