Progressive Disclosure
⏲ 1-minute read | last updated 1 week, 1 day ago
There's a concept in interaction design called progressive disclosure. It's the idea that at any given moment, you should only reveal the necessary elements of an interface (saving the complexity for when it's required).
A simple example:
You don't need to enter your phone number until you first decide you want your credit card saved. On the right - concealing that field until you make that decision - eliminates the visual clutter.
Progressive Disclosure in Conversation
This can be applied to conversations too, discussing only what's relevant to convey your message and exposing additional elements as they become necessary. Good conversationalists do this already - it's a foundational piece of brevity.
From that post:
The fewer the words, the more important each one becomes. A message succinctly delivered signals intelligence because it requires:
- An intimate understanding of the material (you know what they need to know)
- Self-awareness, restraint, and conviction (to deliver only what’s necessary)
- Knowledge of your audience (i.e., empathy - a valuable leadership trait)
Understanding the pieces of your message and how they fit together demonstrates competence (it also has the added benefit of splitting up your message into something more digestible).
It's All Context
Ah, context. Desired universally because it's the stuff of meaning - who doesn't want to know what someone means? To little of it, and we're lost.
But too much, and we're disoriented. Sometimes in our excitement, we overdeliver on context. An act intended to show competency accomplishes just the opposite, leaving the receiver adrift in a sea of disconnected thoughts.
There's a sweet spot somewhere in between those two extremes. It's the wise communicator who moderates the message the right amount, because the right amount is a judgement call.