Noise, so much noise
I suspect we’ve all faced situations where there has been too much information thrown at us. Whether it is forms we’ve had to fill it, data sets that we are magically expected to interpret instantly. It could also be a map of a place we’ve never visited but there’s that one restaurant everyone knows.
The content and solutions we produce can often fall victim to information overload. For a neurotypical person this can present challenges. For a person with neurodiversities it can present a nightmare. In addition, any people using assistive technologies can be flooded with more information than they need. This is often in a manner that renders it unusable and undecipherable.
This topic applies across anything that we produce. Most of the Power Platform is included, specifically Power Apps (Canvas / Model-Driven), Power BI, Copilot Studio, and Power Pages. It also applies to other things such as Microsoft 365 documents, blogs, videos, and even talks at events etc.
Can’t see the wood for the trees
When it comes to presenting data for people to consume, the temptation is to often put everything on the screen. This is done with the intention that “everything is there in one place”.
Whilst the intent is often good, the user experience is poor. Finding one number amongst hundreds can be a challenge. I’ve seen people getting rulers to help line up a specific row and column because there’s so much information. Admittedly, I may have done that one myself as well.
It can be a complex Excel table, data in a PowerPoint deck, or a view of information in an app. One big culprit is the Dashboard. The place where KPI’s, charts, symbols, and more are squeezed together creating what can only be described as data diarrhoea. For people with dyslexia and dyscalculia especially, these things can be a nightmare.
Just one question… and 50 follow-up ones
I have a personal hatred for those emails that say “How was our service, answer 1 quick question”. You just know these will then open a full fat survey that wants to know my entire life history. The same applies when it comes to apps that I need to fill in a couple of columns, but I’m presented with a form that has every single column from the table on it.
A user interface that overwhelms with field on one screen leads to people who are less likely to use the app. They are also less inclined to provide all of the information needed, or with the detail that is required. Asking for too much information in one go is overwhelming and off-putting in equal measure!
Now I know that there are situations where it is important to capture a lot of information. This is not the case in a lot of scenarios though. By using some consideration, you can create forms that have pages, or tabs. These then can lead a user on a data flow journey.
By doing this, it then becomes less of a challenge for people making it easier to locate what they need. It encourages users to provide information and helps them understand the data requirements.
A rule of thumb is that if a form results in multiple sections and scrollbars then split it into tabs or pages. Whilst sections (especially in Model-Driven Apps) break the page up, and group information together, they can still overwhelm people. Breaking the data down reduces the “volume” of the page and improves the overall aesthetic and usability.
For users of screen readers having too much on a screen creates a lot of generated speech. In the case of people using magnifiers or high-zoom levels it creates an ordinance survey map sized area to navigate.
Less is More.
The solution is to put the key information front and centre. On a dashboard, put the vital information and then add separate pages for deep-dive analysis or secondary data. In apps it’s about breaking the data into usable chunks that don’t leave heads spinning.
The UK Government Design System (GDS), whilst not perfect, is clear about how much it puts on a page. Information on the GDS pattern can be found on the website here. In GDS they target a single question a page or, where they make sense to group together, limiting the quantity.
The same rule applies with displaying lists of data. Rather than dumping out all columns on a view, select the key information. If users need to add more columns, or view different data, then offer multiple views. If applicable you can also give the capability to create personal views, although I’d caution against allowing sharing personal views. Doing so creates longer term issues when people leave an organisation and can create hidden tech debt.
When designing anything it is best to start with a minimalistic approach to data presentation. You can then allow people to add to it or extend it. Better this than to flood people with too much information at once.
Hopefully that wasn’t Too Much Information
This was the letter T in the A to Z Accessibility: Power Platform Edition. To read the rest of the series please head to the introduction post here. There is also a main category page on the menu bar and available here.
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