Progressive disclosure shows users the essentials first and reveals detail only when they ask for it.
Use progressive disclosure to keep a dashboard clean while still giving users access to depth.
Techniques
- Drill in. Let users click a chart element to open a more detailed view of the selected data.
- Selection-driven navigation. Use a selection in one widget to filter or reveal related widgets, so detail appears in context.
- Expand and collapse. Hide secondary content in a container or page that users open when needed, instead of showing everything at once.
- Tooltips and detail-on-hover. Move supporting values and definitions into tooltips so the main view stays uncluttered.
- Inspector and detail panels. Reserve a panel for full record or row detail that opens on demand.
When to use it
- A dashboard feels crowded, but users still need the underlying detail.
- Different users need different depth from the same dashboard.
- You would otherwise add a long caption or a dense table to the main view.