A Examples of progressive disclosure techniques

What this clause covers

Annex A is the practical companion to the progressive disclosure principle in clause 5.4. It collects six techniques in seven subclauses, each named plainly: a content preview, accordion panes, sliders, the hamburger icon, a wizard and advanced settings. The annex is informative, so it does not create a separate obligation. Its value is in the choice it forces. A content preview helps a person decide whether to read on. An accordion keeps a long answer inside a short screen. A slider moves through a range or a sequence. The hamburger icon opens a longer menu and needs a label. A wizard carries a long or risky task in steps. Advanced settings keep the deeper options out of the first view. The annex does not say that every technique is right for every app. It gives a vocabulary for a design review.

The headings in this clause

• A.1 General
• A.2 Content preview
• A.3 Accordion panes
• A.4 Sliders
• A.5 Hamburger icon
• A.6 Wizard
• A.7 Advanced settings

What to put in place before publication

1. List the disclosure techniques already used in the app and the help, and name each one with the annex vocabulary.
2. For each technique, write the user question it answers and the case where it is the wrong choice.
3. Check that the hamburger icon has an accessible name and that the menu it opens is reachable without a gesture.
4. Check that accordion and slider controls work with a screen reader and a keyboard or switch.
5. Make a wizard resumable and show progress, so a person can leave and return.
6. Keep advanced settings out of the first view but easy to find, and say in the help where they are.

Evidence to keep

Where teams usually fall short

• Every disclosure control is called a menu, so the design review cannot distinguish them.
• The hamburger icon is unlabelled and a screen reader announces only button.
• A wizard times out and discards the answers, with no warning.

What happens next

Annex A is informative, so a change to it does not change a requirement. Read it at FDIS for better examples and update the technique map, not the compliance position.