[IxDA Discuss] Thoughts on skinning/customizing enterprise apps?

[leo.frishberg at exgate.tek.com]

Providing "skins" for the sake of providing the user with the
opportunity to custom design the look-and-feel is probably a really bad
idea in the context of office automation, enterprise applications, etc.
Certainly it is one of ::the:: features of consumer focused apps.

But here's something to think about - structuring the application itself
to permit reskinning can be key to the application's success.  The skin
that is applied should be carefully crafted by the design team to
support the desired interactions.  As the application needs to be
"refreshed", as new interactions are required, or if aspects of it are
restructured, updating the skin (to support these structural changes)
becomes not only a trivial effort, but an inexpensive opportunity.

Leo

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Wilson, Russell
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 9:04 AM
To: ixda
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Thoughts on skinning/customizing enterprise
apps?


[Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted
material.]

I am often presented with the idea of skinning or
providing customizaton for the presentation of our 
enterprise apps.  

Any thoughts on the real user benefits/value of this?

I ask because I am against doing things "just because we can",
and there are many issues to consider - breaking branding and
identity, support concerns, etc.

If the customization options are trivial (e.g allow users to change
the color of window title bars) it would lessen the concerns, but
then how beneficial is it really to users?  Is it just another
"hey you can also do this" (when in reality they probably never
will or don't really care).

Thanks,
Russ


Russell Wilson | Director of Product Design  
NetQoS, Inc. | 5001 Plaza on the Lake, Austin, TX 78746
512.334.3725 | russell.wilson at netqos.com 

NetQoS: Performance Experts
www.netqos.com

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