The system should always keep users informed about what requires their attention through clear and immediate visual indicators. In the initial version, unread conversations were only distinguished by slightly bolder text. While this technically created a difference between read and unread messages, the change was too subtle to provide strong visibility. Users could easily overlook unread chats, especially when scanning quickly, since the distinction relied solely on typography without any supporting visual signal. In the improved version, unread messages are now accompanied by a numeric badge that clearly indicates both the presence and quantity of unread messages. This provides an explicit and easily scannable status indicator, allowing users to instantly recognize which conversations need attention and how many messages are waiting. The badge reduces ambiguity, improves message prioritization, and communicates system status more effectively than relying on bold text alone. (src: Jakob Nielsen – 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design)