Core Principle
Choose the representation that makes the important relationships easiest to perceive with the least repeated scaffolding.
This skill does not decide whether information belongs on the current surface. That belongs to relevance-first-information-design. It decides how information that is already in scope should be represented.
Representation Mapping
| Information shape | Preferred representation |
|---|---|
| Repeated items with the same fields or dimensions | Table |
| Ordered or procedural sequence | Numbered list |
| Unordered independent points | Bulleted list |
| Parent/child concepts at different abstraction levels | Hierarchy, headings, or nested navigation |
| Narrative reasoning where sequence and causal flow matter | Prose |
| Relationships, flow, topology, or spatial structure | Diagram when it materially improves comprehension |
| Quantitative comparison or trend | Appropriate chart or table |
| One compact condition and one action | Explicit When / Then labels may be clearer than a table |
Structural Rules
- When several records repeat the same labels, encode those labels once as table columns instead of repeating headings or
When/Thenblocks. - Do not use a table for a simple linear flow solely because multiple steps exist.
- Group related material by concept rather than preserving an arbitrary source order.
- Keep sibling sections at comparable abstraction levels.
- Use headings to expose real hierarchy, not merely to add visual decoration.
- Prefer a representation that supports scanning when the reader is likely to compare or route rather than read linearly.
- Avoid duplicating content just to fit a representation; use references or links when one canonical source should serve several views.
Cross-Medium Interpretation
The representation primitive depends on the medium. A table in Markdown may correspond to columns/cards in a UI, grouped fields in a form, a matrix in a dashboard, a typed record collection in code, or another structure that exposes the same repeated dimensions.
Self-Check
- What relationship should become obvious: order, comparison, hierarchy, causality, topology, or grouping?
- Does the current representation repeat labels or structure unnecessarily?
- Would another representation let the consumer perceive the relationship faster without losing information?
- Are sibling elements represented consistently?
- Is the representation still appropriate for the medium and expected interaction?