UX Progressive Disclosure

Progressive Disclosure is a UX design pattern that involves gradually revealing information to users as they interact with a website or application, rather than presenting all the information at once. This technique helps to simplify complex interfaces and reduce cognitive load on users, allowing them to focus on the most relevant information.

In the context of UX, Progressive Disclosure involves presenting only the most essential information to users, and then revealing additional details as they become relevant or necessary. This can be achieved through a variety of design techniques, such as hiding non-essential information behind buttons or links, or using tooltips and hover-over effects to provide additional context.

One common example is the use of collapsible menus or sections. For example, a website might have a navigation menu that initially only displays the top-level categories, but expands to show sub-categories as the user hovers over each item. This allows users to quickly scan the main categories, while still having access to more detailed information if they need it.

Another example is the use of forms that only display relevant fields based on the user’s input. If a user indicates that they are interested in purchasing a product, a form might initially only display fields for their name and contact information, but reveal additional fields for shipping and payment details as the user progresses through the checkout process.

Steps:

1. Identify the information: The first step in implementing Progressive Disclosure is to identify the information that needs to be presented to the user. This involves understanding the user’s needs and goals, as well as the context in which they will be using the interface.
2. Prioritize the information: Once the information has been identified, the next step is to prioritize it based on its relevance and importance to the user. This helps to ensure that the most important information is presented first, while less important details are hidden until they become relevant.
3. Determine the triggers: The triggers are the actions or events that will cause additional information to be revealed. These triggers should be intuitive and easy to understand, so that users can easily discover and access the additional information.
4. Design the interface: The next step is to design the interface in a way that supports Progressive Disclosure. This may involve using collapsible menus, tooltips, hover-over effects, or other design techniques to hide non-essential information until it is needed.
5. Test and iterate: It is important to test the interface with users and gather feedback to identify any areas for improvement. Based on this feedback, the interface can be iterated and refined to ensure that it provides the best possible user experience.

Advantages

1. Reduced cognitive load: By presenting only the most essential information to users and hiding non-essential details, it helps to reduce cognitive load and simplify complex interfaces. This makes it easier for users to understand and interact with the interface, leading to a better user experience.
2. Improved navigation: Improve navigation by providing users with access to relevant information at the right time. By revealing additional details only when they are needed, users can more easily find what they are looking for, without being overwhelmed by too much information.
3. More efficient use of screen real estate: By hiding non-essential information until it is needed, it can help to optimize the use of screen real estate, especially on smaller screens such as mobile devices. This can improve the overall usability and accessibility of the interface.
4. Better engagement: Can also help to increase user engagement by encouraging users to interact with the interface and discover more about the product or service being offered. This can lead to a more immersive and enjoyable user experience, which can in turn lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Disadvantages

1. Difficulty in discovering hidden information: If the triggers for revealing additional information are not clear or easily discoverable, users may have difficulty finding the information they need. This can lead to frustration and a negative user experience.
2. Increased interaction cost: May require users to perform more interactions in order to access the information they need. This can increase the overall interaction cost and time required to complete tasks, which can be frustrating for users who are in a hurry.
3. Inconsistent use of interface elements: If it is not consistently applied throughout the interface, users may become confused and have difficulty understanding how to interact with the interface. This can lead to a disjointed and inconsistent user experience.
4. Potential for information overload: While Progressive Disclosure is designed to reduce cognitive load, it can also lead to information overload if too much information is revealed at once. Designers need to carefully balance the amount of information that is revealed at each step to ensure that users are not overwhelmed.