How to Implement Progressive Disclosure in HTML Email Templates No ratings yet.

We want the most out of user interfaces and stretch whatever space is available. Right? As a result, many techniques have developed from a simple drop-down menu to complicated single-page Ajax-powered sites that include progressive disclosure. Besides, displaying long text and images in email takes out most space and can overwhelm the reader. Thus, using custom HTML email templates with progressive disclosure can be a game-changer for designers and users.

So, today, we will explore what progressive disclosure is and how can you implement it in HTML email templates.

What is Progressive Disclosure?

It is a design technique to decrease the cognitive load by gradually uncovering details or features as the user progresses through the UI. You can do this by splitting complex details into smaller, more manageable ones and presenting these to users gradually step by step. This step-by-step technique saves users from being overwhelmed by too much data at once. You can easily find examples of progressive disclosure in emails, multi-step forms, checkout pages, etc.

When to Implement Progressive Disclosure?

Here are a few scenarios where you can consider implementing progressive disclosure.

Complexity of task and detail: If your task or message contains complex details, breaking them into manageable chunks using this technique makes it easier for users to understand.

Contextual design: We know that many product documentation contain larger information that can be overwhelming to process and digest. Here progressive disclosure can be very effective, as it presents users only important information first for easy digestion, with the option to explore more content if needed. Also,

Onboarding: Onboarding is another thing where you can use Progressive disclosure effectively. In this, you can provide step-by-step in-app tutorials and walkthroughs to explain the procedure.

How to Implement Progressive Disclosure in HTML Email Templates

If you want to implement progressive disclosure in HTML email templates, you should use CSS classes, conditional logic, and JS (if supported by the email client) to hide specific content and only reveal it when a user interacts with a specific element like a “Show More” button. This way, you can effectively display information step by step to users. You can also use different “show more” links, accordion-style sections, or hidden content blocks to make it more engaging. They only show the additional details when users interact, ensuring a neat and less overwhelming email reading experience. Here are easy implementation steps to design HTML email templates with progressive disclosure.

Implementation Steps:

HTML Structure:

Main Content: First, wrap the initial information that is crucial in a container with a precise class name. You can wrap the content to progressively disclose within a container element with a CSS class that initially hides it.

Hidden Content: Now, build separate div elements for extra information that you want to hide, with a class to determine them as “hidden content” (e.g., class=”hidden-content”).

Trigger Link: Add a trigger element like a link or button with a clear label e.g. “Show More” near the initially visible content that will trigger the reveal mechanism.

CSS for initial hiding:

To hide the details, define a CSS rule to hide the content container.

HTML structure:

.hidden-content {

display: none;

}

JavaScript for revealing content (if supported):

Now, add a JS function attached to the trigger element’s click event that

terminates the “hidden-content” class from the container element, making it visible.

HTML structure:

<div class=”content-section”>

<p>Initial visible content here.</p>

<button class=”show-more-button”>Show More</button>

<div class=”hidden-content”>

<p>Additional information to be revealed on click.</p>

</div>

</div>

Important Considerations for Progressive Disclosure:

While designing custom HTML email templates using Progressive Disclosure, there are a few things that you should consider.

Visible Link Text: When implementing progressive disclosure, ensure to use appropriate text for the visible link or button. The most common text used is “Show more details,” “Read more,” etc., which triggers the display of additional information when clicked. You must ensure these link text buttons are clearly labeled and users can understand and access their function easily.

Hidden Content Blocks: You can use the CSS function “display: none” to initially hide additional content and reveal it using the JavaScript function containing the triggered element like the “Show More” link.

Email Client Compatibility: If you are thinking of using JavaScript-based functions, then find out whether the email clients fully support JavaScript or not. If they do not, then they rely heavily on CSS-based codes. So, you should consider a fallback mechanism for these clients.

Initial Content and Visual Design: Try to add only important information in your initial content that going to be visible to audiences, including the CTA, in a brief and easy-to-read format. Also, carefully add the transition between the initial and expanded content to keep the design elegant and give a seamless user experience.

 

Conclusion:

Individuals who frequently access their email are likely aware that the experience of reading emails can differ significantly, ranging from highly effective to distinctly frustrating. Although visually appealing emails may appear impressive in an inbox, they can become overwhelming when overly dense with information on a compact screen with a small font size.

Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge the necessity of designing custom HTML email templates. For email designers, the adoption of current designing techniques, such as progressive disclosure, is essential for thriving in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.