UX challenge How to deal with very long and wide tables

Having a very wide and long table is not always an ideal design solution, but there are a few tricks you can use to help. These tricks will help to keep your design clean, clear, and easy to use.

Alignment

Whether you are creating a table that is a few pages long or a few columns wide, it’s important that your content is aligned correctly. This will make the table easier to read. There are several ways to do this.

First, you can use the ‘height’ property to specify the height of the table. This value can be either a pixel value or a percentage. The height of the table is the sum of the row heights plus the cell spacing.

Alternatively, you can use the ‘width’ property to specify the width of the table. You can also use the ‘width’ attribute to specify the width of an individual cell. When using the width attribute, you should only use it if your cell is wide enough to justify the contents in that cell. You should also use padding to separate cells.

When using the text-align property, you should align your text left. You can also use the ‘caption-side’ property to align the content of the caption. This will cause the caption to be aligned left, justified, and bottom-outside.

Alternatively, you can align your data vertically within a cell. This can be useful when you want to compare magnitudes. It can also make it easier to scan entries.

You can also align your data horizontally within a cell. This can be a helpful strategy when you want to explain abbreviations or asterisks. Ideally, your data should be sorted alphabetically.

For tables that are very long and wide, you may need to apply some extra space. This can be achieved by applying padding to the table cells. You should also use a lighter colour to reduce the impact of the borders. If you do need to use borders, you should only use them in one direction. Alternatively, you can use tints, which are a subtle guide for your reader’s eye.

Regardless of how you use alignment, your table should not look like a net with every number enclosed. Instead, it should look like a referenced document. It should be referenced because the information contained in the table is meant to be used.

Consider accessibility

Whether you’re developing a website, PowerPoint presentation, or blog post, it’s important to consider accessibility when dealing with very long and wide tables. There are several steps you can take to make your tables more accessible. Using these techniques will help you reduce the cognitive load for non-visual users, which can have a big impact on the user’s experience.

First, evaluate the structure of your table. If you have tables with multiple rows, you’ll need to reformat them to a single column. The more columns you have, the harder it will be for screen reader users to navigate. In addition, you’ll need to make sure that each column contains its own header.

Next, use HTML to communicate the relationship between columns and rows. This can be accomplished with a header cell and captions. The HTML tags that identify each data cell and the relationships between its cells are important because they allow screen reader users to understand the content in your document.

In addition to using HTML, consider using system colors. These colors will respond to accessibility settings correctly. When you use system colors, you’re able to provide text that is visually distinct from other elements on the page. This is important because tables can be difficult to read for non-visual users. Italics can be helpful for occasional emphasis, but should not be used to emphasize important information.

Finally, use captions to provide context to your tables. This will help screen reader users understand how the table is structured. When using captions, only the first letter of each caption should be capitalized. For example, when using the headings “Plant Types,” you should add a caption for each cell in the “Plant Types” column. The caption will also make it easier for screen reader users to navigate between tables.

The best way to keep your table accessible is to consider the structure of your table before creating it. If you have a table with a complex format, consider turning it into a flowchart or definition list. If you’re worried about the format of your table, try using an image instead of text.