Navigation. For Anyone

Let’s imagine the situation when we have six projects and for each project we have at least ten-fifteen current information objects (there are much more, indeed). As a result, there are tons of tasks, endless data, messages and file lists, occupying the whole screen.

Of course, we can rewind and accurately study everything that appears on this screen.

But there is always a question – how much patience do we have to check the list all the way through? Are we able to quickly find out what is going on in different projects? Are we able to understand what to do? What is important for us and which moments we can skip? What are the main efforts we have to aim at? Probably, no.

As a result, the screen, that is made to help us to get familiar with all the data flow, doesn’t get its job done. We get way too much information, which is overwhelming us.

That is why, we concentrate only on one project and we may lose important information in other projects. In such manner, that “All projects” screen wouldn’t be useful anymore.

What can we do? We’ll try to get this task resolved according to the way of personal orientation and operation with data flow.

As we enter our account, our main task is to make a user not to go too deep in the details (information noise), but to let him see the macro-level of the data flow. How is it possible? To see all projects, that we are taking part in, on the right side of the navigation bar of the workspace screen. Moreover, the most perfect is to see all these things (including all the related projects and information objects) on one screen.

Instead, on the display space we can see only one project name and the list with information objects that are occupying the whole screen. We don’t even notice other projects. We completely immerse into the first project details straight away. Bid fair, our first desire and action will be to take part in this project. So we can lose all the important information, concerning the other projects.

The decision is to decrease the amount of objects which are shown on the display space from each project and give an opportunity to see the rest of the current active objects that we are interested in.

So we can see all our projects on one screen and remark – which of them have updates and which don’t. We can see how many information objects have arisen in this or that project (there is a button, hiding 15 more objects under the group).

The service doesn’t make us immerse only into details of the single project. It keeps them hidden. It shows macro-level of the data flow so, that becomes easy to use and to make effective decisions.

Then we can start working with a certain group of objects. It means that we can start observing all the current (latest or actual) objects in some particular project.  As well, we can jump to the micro-level of the data observation, if needed. So we are able to quickly preview any information object.

What else can be done to increase navigation opportunities in the web-service and to make the “All projects” screen even more usable?

We can make projects color-indicated, that means we may mark our projects with color then.

This is the way we are advancing our facilities:

—            We may mark projects with color coming from our own understanding and indication, e.g. where the red color would mean ”pay attention on the project” or ”Under special control”, blue color “The project is about to close“ or “There will be no need of my participation in this project anytime soon”, etc.

—            The colors, used in the title of the project on this screen, give us a possibility to create the proper context for every information object, to improve the navigation. We can feel priorities and make more detailed difference between the navigation bar and projects in the information field.

—            Taking into consideration that on the right-hand side of the navigation bar we are able to organize projects in any order, so having added here the color indication, we have an opportunity to “colorwisely” group projects.  This expands our navigation capabilities, so we are able to see not only the title of the project but  the group of projects, which help us to get used to it not only  on the right side of  the screen, but on the display space as well.  

—            When we are inside of the project, the color of the project title shows us the information that has some special meaning for us. 

—            Notifications, that we get in the context of color-indication in the project’s title, become more informative as well.

As a result, we see the project’s title within our work space (e.g. blue color) with the set of information objects. Now we understand where this project is displayed, and finally, we understand which group this project is related to. So, it turns out to be very convenient, that everyone can choose his own color-indication.

What else could be done?

We can make it available to structure all the information on the “All projects” workspace. Now the information is structured according to the projects. Let’s add a possibility to sort the information according to the object types.

What do we need this for?

It’s needed to manage your own possibilities and resources in more effective manner, to receive the required information in such performance, which would be most convenient to take the optimal decisions and plan in a proper way.

So, what is the general outcome from all this above-mentioned? We are able to see all the current and latest events, activities and meetings. We can see the whole picture regarding the tasks which we haven’t done yet, what is urgent, new e-mails and files, etc. Also, every object has additional information, such as the name of the project  and its color indication.

This will help us to expand data flow navigation opportunities, decisions making will be much easier and  take less time than usual.

To be continued…