Simplify the task

A screen can look quieter after you remove something and become harder to use. Hiding a document's status inside a menu leaves more room in a table. It also makes someone open each row to find the work waiting for approval.

I want simplicity to make sense in use. Before removing a detail, name the task it supports. Someone looking for an overdue document needs to compare dates and status. Someone reading one document has different priorities. The useful amount of information depends on the moment.

Compare the effort

Try two versions with the same realistic content. Follow the task from beginning to end. Notice what someone has to remember, where they have to look, and which actions they repeat. A single screen can hide a lot of work.

Keep essential actions discoverable and usable from the keyboard. If a label seems too long, try clearer wording before replacing it with an unfamiliar icon. If a flow feels crowded, consider deferring a secondary choice until the person needs it.

There is room for preference here too. I like restraint, but that alone does not establish that another person will find the result easier. Learning how they do the work gives that judgement something firmer to rest on.

Choose the smallest comparison that could change your mind. It might be enough to watch someone find an overdue item in both versions, varying which they see first. A task that ends successfully should still leave you curious about the effort it took.