Hey everyone!
Today, I want to share with you a more efficient way to present data that's much more engaging than your typical tables. It's all about turning those data tables into data cards!
Imagine you have a data table with six records and seven different fields in the header. When you're trying to find a specific value, you need to scan down the first column to find the record you want, then scan across the row to locate the value. It can be quite a challenge for your eyes! And if you're not sure what a particular data type is, you have to look all the way up to the column header to double-check.
But there's a better way. Instead of making your eyes do all the work, let's use visual recognition to differentiate the data. That's where data cards come in!
With data cards, all the data values stay the same, but they get a new look. There's a hierarchy based on data type, so your eyes don't have to travel far or fixate on irrelevant data while scanning. Once you find the record ID, spotting the value you need is much easier.
Data cards make finding record IDs simple with eye-catching visual cues. They're always in the top left corner of the card header, so they're easy to spot. And all the ID data fields are combined into one robust field. You can even add a photo of the client or company logo to help you identify the record faster.
But that's not all! With a handy card sorter, you can sort the cards by any field using a dropdown menu. The cards are ordered by column, not by row, so you can scan the values vertically like a table. It's a real time-saver!
Another great thing about data cards is that they make it easy to display images and graphics in context. For example, you can see a client's status badge while checking out their last contact, projects, and meetings to get a feel for their current activity. Trying to do that on a table can be quite challenging.
Analyzing records on a table can be difficult because data in adjacent rows can interfere with your focus. But with data cards, all the data is contained within the card, so you can focus on a record without any distractions.
Comparing stats is a common task, and data cards make it easy by putting all the stat numbers together in the card's footer. The primary stat number gets the spotlight in the bottom-right corner, while secondary stats are on the left. And since stats are super important for analysis, they get some extra color contrast to make them stand out.
Say goodbye to horizontal scrolling issues! With data cards, adding more fields just makes the card taller, not wider. No more missing out on fields that are hiding off-screen.
Data cards also make it easier to read long text values. There's plenty of room for the text to grow without breaking the layout or causing awkward wrapping. You can even put multiple values side-by-side in the card's body for easy comparison. And field titles are displayed with each value, so you don't have to keep scrolling up to the column headers.
Want to rearrange your cards? No problem! Just grab the header and drag the card wherever you want it. It's a simple and intuitive way to reorganize your data.
Sometimes you need to see more details about a specific field. With data cards, you can click to expand a table sheet from the side, which overlays the current screen so you don't lose context. This detailed view is perfect for breaking down stat numbers or displaying long data lists. And if you need to go even deeper, you can add another layer of disclosure to each table row.
Of course, every card needs an action menu for editing and deleting. Just click the ellipsis button in the top-right corner to access these options.
Pagination can be a real challenge with large tables, but data cards make it much more manageable. Instead of scanning one long table row at a time, you can scan multiple cards per row. And if you want to compare values, just switch to the column order view. It's that simple!
So, here's the anatomy of a data card: the header is for the record ID, status, drag, and menu actions; the body is for longer textual data values; and the footer is for stat numbers. By breaking it down like this, the hierarchy becomes very clear.
Transforming tables into cards might not work for every situation, but it's definitely worth considering! Hierarchy through size, shape, color, placement, and layout can make data much easier to scan and analyze. And if you give users the option to toggle between table and card view, they can choose what works best for them.
At the end of the day, it's all about making the most of our human capacity for visual recognition.
When you do that, you'll see a big difference in the user experience.