[IxDA Discuss] product SUITE design

Fri Aug 3 12:12:27 PDT 2007

Willson,
I'd suggest looking first at the proposed suite itself and do some  
poking around to determine if the products REALLY belong to the suite  
or not.
In our work with applications suites it is quite common to see some  
cases when only marginally related apps are being wrapped up in  
suites by marketing or biz people for the sake of giving impression  
of better pricing, more features and what not.

If that's the case you probably have a better use of your time  
looking at the consistency of overall branding, visual treatments of  
elements and low level screen patterns for common elements - if there  
are any (pagination, data tables, sorting, search functions,  
calendars etc.).

If applications do belong to the suite - i.e. complement each other  
to allow users to work on closely related issues, then "pattern  
analysis" may be required - i.e a much deeper analysis of usage  
patterns on different levels widget/function level, screen level,  
workflow and application level. Based on that analysis you may also  
come up with cross-application patterns as well.

Ideally you'd like to give users a consistent experience across  
multiple apps and provide them with ability to switch between apps at  
critical points. We found that differences in navigation itself do  
not cause any significant difficulties, however the design challenge  
often lays in finding design solutions to two or more similar but  
somewhat different functions (patterns) by abstracting to the higher  
level that covers all pattern flavors for this particular element in  
one and keep wrapping it up in screen and appl level patterns... i  
know , easier said than done...
good luck

yury
--------------------------------
Yury Frolov
Studio Asterisk*
GUI Strategy | User Experience | Brand

v 415 374 7478
f 702 446 7840

http://www.studioasterisk.com

On Aug 3, 2007, at 8:47 AM, Wilson, Russell wrote:

I'm struggling a little with the design of a product suite.

The products perform very different functions, but they do

makeup a suite of tools that can be used in conjunction.

The struggle is:

1)      What design elements (banners, navigation, interaction patterns,
etc.) should be the same?

2)      What can be different?  Can I have different navigation
mechanisms for two tools in a suite?

3)      What is key (from a design perspective) to presenting a
connected suite of tools?

I tried at one point to fit all the products into one navigation style,
but for at least one

of the products, I was sacrificing usability for the sake of
consistency.  So, I can create "optimal"

designs for each product, but how do I make them come together?

My current gameplan involves making several mechanisms within the
products consistent (the

way a user expands a window, visual elements and icons, etc.), but the
overall navigation is

different.  To me, this "threads" the products together.  But I'm
concerned that navigation is

so different...

The best design for a particular function VERSUS consistent coordinated
design???

Thanks,

Russ

blog:  http://www.dexodesign.com

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

NetQoS: Performance Experts
www.netqos.com <http://www.netqos.com/>

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