Component Type |
Required Component |
Navigation Links |
Links enable users to access a new page or a section within the dashboard. The links can also be used to open external Web sites and documents.
|
Icons |
Icons are used as a navigational aid within the dashboard. Icons can be used to trigger actions defined on the dashboard.
|
Drop-down Lists |
In certain scenarios, drop-down lists play a critical role in grouping a set of navigation links. These links enable users to save screen areas and provide a logical grouping to the links.
|
When to Use the Master/Details Pattern
Use the Master/Details pattern when you:
- Need to provide a professional application where a user is accustomed to high-density screens and needs to easily navigate through lists or hierarchies of information to see details
- Need the ability to quickly review information across multiple objects where the detail for these objects is dense
- Need to review the content of several objects in order to find particular objects and perform actions on those objects
- Need the ability to quickly review and act upon multiple large objects in succession
Why Should You Use the Master/Details Pattern
Use the Master/Details pattern to:
- Reduce physical effort. This pattern provides users with the ability to quickly view much more information in a constrained area with a single mouse click.
- Reduce visual cognitive load. The space remains stable as opposed to repopulating with changes (drill down) or additional windows (dialog). Users can remain focused on constrained spaces that refresh.
- Reduce memory burden. Users have little context when they are in a drill-down or dialog mode.
When the user selects an employee from the master table, the corresponding employee details appear in the region below in a label/data format.
Figure 1: Master Detail |
