About Project
Our client believed that software is only about development, yet, he was open minded and had a sense that something was missing from his product.
Our role this time was extremely different, we had to convince him with the value and importance of the UX design and how it impacts users’ satisfaction. The project was a POC for this purpose.
The client walked us through his current implemented web app and asked for a generic design that can fit with most of the app modules without getting into the deep details of the ERP.
Deadline
One business week!! 5 days to go through all implemented modules, pinpoint the weak points, develop new ideas and design a generic app that can fit most needs without understanding the business and analyzing it.
Weak Points
We spotted many flaws in the navigation, information architecture and the general basic usability of the app.
Weakness#1: Opened Pages
In the implemented app, when opening multiple pages – which was a necessity for the app users – they get displayed in a way very similar to browser's tabs. This was an awesome idea, yet it was both confusing and it wasn’t a good choice to view the full pages' name which in this case was too long.
In the implemented app, when opening multiple pages – which was a necessity for the app users – they get displayed in a way very similar to browser's tabs. This was an awesome idea, yet it was both confusing and it wasn’t a good choice to view the full pages' name which in this case was too long.
Weakness#2: Navigation
It was really hard to reach items in the 2nd and 3rd levels of the app. The system also had 4 levels of navigation
Weakness#3: Transaction Form
Obviously, the page needed a whole re-design to be clear and understandable.
Old Transaction Form
Old Transaction Form
Improvements
Our improvements mainly targeted the simplification of the high level navigation of the app and the display of the different forms in a learnable-easy to access way.
Improvement #1: 4 Levels Navigation
To solve this issue, we designed a new mega menu that fitted the purpose of the ERP app.
Upon clicking on a menu item, it opens – in one shot – the first 2 levels of navigation elements expanded in the form of item and sub-item, thus eliminating a navigation level. Upon clicking on a sub-item, it expands the next level in the hierarchy if any.
Improvement #1: 4 Levels Navigation
Improvement #2: Open Pages & Navigation
This was a mixed solution for weakness #1 (opened pages) and weakness #2 (navigation).
After a quick research we found that no user uses all system pages all the time. S/He usually performs the same actions/tasks every day. So, it was useless to navigate through the whole-huge app daily to perform the same task.
This was why we introduced the "Favorites" feature. Users can easily click on the "Favorite" icon besides any page's title to add it to the “Favorites” panel thus have easy quick access to it later.
In the initial state, the app’s design was modified to suggest some pages according to user's usage.
Improvement #2: Open Pages & Navigation
Improvement #3: Layout
Going through all app pages, we noticed it always displayed a master-details layout, a table and details for each row. Each item in the app's DB has some identifier attributes which the user needed to know before clicking it to request more data about the item.
Based on this, we figured out that lay-outing the page into fixed 1/3 and 2/3 columns would be the best fit.
The left panel should have the identifiers and the information, which the user needs to decide which item to select.
Upon the selection of the item, the right panel should be populated with the item’s details.
Improvement #3: Layout
