Pattern 14
Results grow without flooding
Make large result sets navigable and deliberate.
Concrete takeaway
Show the result scope, a useful initial set and an explicit way to load more.
Choose an approach
These are editorial decision conditions to validate. Some alternatives are successive states or can be combined; they are not always exclusive choices.
| Alternative | Use when | Tradeoff or requirement |
|---|---|---|
| A · Initial set | A broad result set is useful | A bounded initial set can conceal unshown items |
| B · Refine scope | The scope is too broad for the task | Refinement changes retrieval and needs clear filters |
| C · Loading fails | Loading the next group fails | Existing results and selections should remain usable |
The problem
Search, cross references or media retrieval can insert dozens of cards and make the answer hard to follow.
The pattern
Show the result scope, a useful initial set and an explicit way to load more. Keep ordering and previous selection stable. Explain whether the count is total, currently loaded or estimated.
Compare the alternatives
Make large result sets navigable and deliberate.
A · Initial set
A bounded list makes scope understandable.
B · Refine scope
Refinement changes retrieval rather than the source content.
C · Loading fails
Existing results remain usable.
Original wireframe proposals · No live controls · Grey rows represent schematic text, not loading states · Labelled placeholders are not Scripture quotations
Download this wireframe as SVGFailure modes
An unbounded stream of media; a misleading exact count; losing a selection when loading the next group.
What to validate
Test zero, one and many results, loading failure and return navigation. Can readers find a relevant item without losing the original question?
Research-informed design proposal. These visual alternatives have not been tested with users in this atlas. Source findings, documented behaviour and this proposed adaptation are different kinds of evidence.
Sources and adaptation
This card is an original design synthesis. The following sources inform its content distinctions, interaction approach or review requirements; they do not validate the whole pattern.
- AI UX PlaygroundCatalogue and selected detail pages reviewed · Selected relevant entries reviewed; the entire catalogue was not audited. Its FAQ currently describes 150 patterns in 11 categories.
- How can AI UI capture intentArticle reviewed · Avoid turning contextual assistance into hidden inference about belief, health or emotional state.
- Aiverse Design PatternsPublic catalogue and access model reviewed · Protected Pro content was not reviewed. Public presentation is not an independent usability study.
Common scenarios and flows
- Read a long passage from a conversation — Inspect complete Scripture without letting an embed take over the dialogue.
Design principles in this decision
Editorial application of Missional by Design. These values frame review questions; they do not validate a pattern’s effectiveness.
- Hospitality — Who can use this approach in their actual context, and what complete alternative exists for someone who cannot?
Compare alternatives using the task and evidence above. Record competing needs instead of treating a principle as an automatic verdict.