Progressive disclosure is a design pattern that involves gradually revealing information to the user as they interact with an interface. This technique is used to simplify complex interfaces by only showing information that is relevant to the user's current task or context. It is often used to manage information overload, reduce cognitive load, and improve the overall user experience.
A practical example of progressive disclosure in action could be seen in a form that asks users to fill out a lot of information. Instead of showing all the fields at once, the form can be broken down into smaller sections, with only one section displayed at a time. This way, the user can focus on the task at hand and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they need to fill out.
Another example of progressive disclosure is seen in menus that expand as the user interacts with them. For instance, a menu on a website may have several main categories, and each category may contain several sub-categories. Instead of showing all the sub-categories at once, the menu only shows the main categories. As the user clicks on a main category, the menu expands to show the sub-categories within that category. This way, the user is not overwhelmed with too much information at once and can focus on finding what they need.
Overall, progressive disclosure is a powerful technique for simplifying complex interfaces and improving the user experience. By only revealing information as needed, designers can help users focus on their current task and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
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