Help Topic Display Control for Entry Field Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users cannot easily find help for multiple entry fields as they need to select each field individually to access help information, making it cumbersome to locate relevant assistance.
Innovation Solution
An information providing system that acquires and displays help topics corresponding to multiple entry fields, allowing users to see all help topics on one screen with a distinct display mode for the selected entry field, enabling easy access to help without additional operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If help information is displayed only when a user selects an entry field, then the screen remains clean and simple, but the user cannot easily find help for multiple entry fields and must select each field individually
Solution Approach 1:
The system displays all help topics in advance in the help area before the user needs them. The acquisition unit acquires help topics for multiple entry fields and displays them in the help area, allowing users to see available help without having to select each field individually. This preliminary display of help topics resolves the contradiction by making help easily findable while maintaining screen organization through the dedicated help area.
2Loss of information
If detailed help information is displayed for all entry fields simultaneously, then users can see all help topics at once, but the screen becomes cluttered and information overload occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different display modes to different help topics based on their selection state. When an entry field is specified, the help topic corresponding to that field is displayed in a distinguished mode (with detailed information), while other help topics are displayed in a non-distinguished mode (without detailed information). This local differentiation allows users to see all help topics while keeping the screen clean by showing detailed information only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The display mode of help topics changes dynamically based on user interaction. When a user specifies an entry field, the system dynamically updates the help area to display the corresponding help topic in a distinguished mode with detailed information, while other help topics automatically switch to non-distinguished mode. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the information display to user needs in real-time.
3Ease of operation
If the system displays only one help topic at a time, then the help information is clear and focused, but users cannot easily know what other help topics are available
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments help topics into two categories: distinguished mode (for the currently selected entry field's help topic) and non-distinguished mode (for other help topics). The acquisition unit acquires multiple help topics and displays them in the help area, with the selected one highlighted or distinguished. This segmentation allows users to see all available help topics while maintaining clarity by distinguishing the currently relevant help from other available options.
Data Source
AI summary
An information providing system according to an embodiment includes an acquisition unit and a display control unit. The acquisition unit acquires a plurality of help topics corresponding to a plurality of entry fields to be displayed on a screen from a field/topic storage unit that stores help topics corresponding to entry fields. The display control unit displays the plurality of entry fields in an entry area in the screen displayed on a user terminal and displays the plurality of help topics acquired by the acquisition unit in a help area in the screen. When a field/topic displayed in one of the entry area and the help area is specified, the display control unit makes a display mode of a field/topic in the other area corresponding to the specified field/topic different from a display mode of the other fields/topics in the other area.