dichtease

Dichtease is a concept in information design and human–computer interaction that describes balancing information density with perceived ease of use in artifacts such as dashboards, reports, and user interfaces. The aim is to present enough information for insight without overwhelming the reader, so that tasks can be completed accurately and efficiently.

The term combines the idea of density with ease of use. It is used primarily in design discourse and is not a formal scientific term. In practice, dichtease refers to the intentional adjustment of content, layout, and typography to control cognitive load.

Practitioners assess dichtease through metrics such as readability scores, task completion time, error rate, and user-reported ease. Common techniques include progressive disclosure, clear typographic hierarchy, whitespace optimization, modular content blocks, and adaptive layouts that adjust density by context or user preference.

Applications include data dashboards, data journalism, educational materials, and instruction design. In software and web design, dichtease informs layout decisions that keep essential information accessible while offering deeper layers of detail as needed.

Criticism and status: the term remains informal and variably defined; its boundaries overlap with established ideas of readability, information density, and cognitive load theory. Critics note that what feels easy to one user can be risky for another, so assumptions about optimal density often require user testing and context awareness.