Progressive disclosure and defaults

Progressive Disclosure & Defaults

Use this skill when a feature has legitimate advanced options or configuration parameters that would overwhelm the primary view if shown all at once, but cannot be deleted because power users or specific scenarios require them.

Workflow

1. Design safe, helpful defaults first (Larry Tesler & Don Norman):
   • Choose defaults that match what the majority of users want 80–90% of the time, so a user can complete the core action with minimal tweaking.
   • Safety & transparency rule:
     • A default must never silently opt the user into destructive behavior, unexpected cost, public data exposure, or dark-pattern consent.
     • Show the active default summary visibly (e.g., "Model: Claude Opus 5.5 (High effort) · Change") so the user sees what will happen without opening the advanced panel.
2. Layer complexity with progressive disclosure:
   • Primary layer (Always visible): The 2–5 essential inputs and the primary action required for every run.
   • Secondary layer (Inline expandable / contextual): Options needed only when a specific mode is chosen (e.g., show schedule cron fields only when "Run on schedule" is toggled on) or under a clearly labeled "Advanced options (3)" disclosure that summarizes any non-default overrides inside its label!
   • Tertiary layer (Settings / Preset templates): Organization-wide defaults configured once per project/workspace rather than repeated on every single task creation.
3. Preserve discoverability of hidden controls:
   • Never bury a frequently needed action inside an unlabeled three-dot menu or right-click-only context menu.
   • When an advanced setting is changed from its default, badge or surface that override on the collapsed summary so users are never surprised by hidden state during debugging.