While reorganizing my bookmarks I came across Jacob Nielsen's Alertbox from Dec 4, 2006:

A classic dilemma all designers face…

  • On one hand: Users want control; features and enough options to handle any situation.
  • On the other hand: Users want simplicity; they don't have time learn a profusion of features in enough depth to select the few that are optimal for their needs.

Progressive Disclosure is a technique used in interaction design to satisfy both of these conflicting requirements:

  • Initially, show users only a few of the most important options.
  • Offer a larger set of specialized options upon request. Disclose these secondary features only if a user asks for them, meaning that most users can proceed with their tasks without worrying about this added complexity.

Applied to content, the concept of progressive disclosure translates to:

  • Initially, show users bite sized nuggets of relevant content — what Wired Magazine would call Information Snacking
  • Offer easy access to the full, in-depth content only if/when the user asks for it.

Just some food for thought… but whatever you do, don't forget to Make The Logo Bigger

Cheers,
Erik

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