Principlev1PR-481
Flatten hierarchies before deepening them—add nesting levels
Flatten hierarchies before deepening them—add nesting levels only when flat organization with rich cross-references proves insufficient.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Working Memory Capacity Limit (working memory limits) and Hierarchical Chunking Expands Capacity (chunking enables treating groups as units). This prescribes a default bias toward flatness in hierarchy design, adding depth only when necessary. It's actionable (try flat first) and addresses the overhead of deep navigation.