Design inspiration

[NigelShaw]

Hi,

so i have made many great modules for a program i writing. the program is very quickly becoming very complex, but thats not the issue!

i know what i want and how i want it to work only, i just cant seem to get that 'inspiration'. That perfect layout of your key form that will make or break your application. All other forms are really just fancy forms that allow data viewing or manipulation but its all about the 'main' form and how that is presented. I cant even seem to decide where i want Client details to be positioned let alone other stuff like-

do i display a contact list or have it as a form?
do i display an accessible list of projects with sub items or not

im really struggling to get this nailed. any tips on setting your design straight lol?


cheers


Nidge

 

[gemma-the-husky]

it is quite tricky isn't it.

Most of the time I use a MS switchboard, with the same items in a drop down menu at the top. For accounting type applications, most users seem to accept that sort of interface.

Maybe a set of purpose made icons would be nice to put in a set of tool bars, or something similar.

------
Not sure if I ddin't have a similar problem though. I was trying to develop an all purpose general invoicing prepaartion system. I had customers, contacts, and jobs/projects. The original form I had showed everything, with buttons to add new customers/contacts etc.

It all worked in theory, but just wasn't practical to use. I was trying to use it for myself, and had to remember what it was supposed to do. I have sort of turned it around now.

I have reduced the number of facilities available on the initial form, and made it all datasheets, rather than continuous form. I don't normally use datasheets, but it just seems to flow much better this way.

Here's a screen shot of the main form now. (And I just noted I haven't set the description for one of the menu items!)

 

[Simon_MT]

Personally, I would have a Contacts Form with a Search Form "in front" of the Contacts Form.

You should be able to Search Contacts using wildcards on:

Contact Surname, First
Contact Company
Contact Email
Contact Location (Country, Town, Postcode although London peculiar)
Contact Telephone

Even if this means getting more than one Client.

Simon

 

[SaviorSix]

I always check out different web applications and see how they are laid out. Recently I was looking at the "fogbugz" application because I like the color scheme and layout of controls. I try to minic web applications because they are usually clean and simple, and it's what people are becoming used to.

 

[Simon_MT]

There is a lot you can do to with the aesthetics application but what Dave was alluding to was that functionality comes first. That does not mean that your application can't be attractive as well. I have stopped using datasheets and designed Continuous Forms to look like datasheets with alternate row colours. I use gradient images on Form headers and Menus.

Simon

 

[NigelShaw]

Hi guys

Thanks for the input. Personally I steer clear of continuous forms and data sheets as I prefer to display grid type views with a grid. It just looks better. It's a hard Jon to make something look nice yet, keep a layout looking similar while other modules work differently. I'm all for eye candy but it has to work. I add lots of functionality behind the scenes.

It's mainly the layout. What type of menu? Side, top, ribbon. What should the user see when the application opens?

Those types of issues I'm dealing with at the minute


Cheers


Nigel

 

[spikepl]

Don't forget usability. Different requirements exist for occasional use, vs some application used hundreds of times per day. And the perception of the developer is not always aligned with that of a frequent user. I once ran into an app where the main form required extensive use of mouse. And the form was used hundreds of times per day by each of the 20-odd users. The developer liked mouse and disliked short-cut keys. The staff had been swearing over that for years, but the decision makers were deaf and blind, since the system worked, and they did not have to work with it themselves.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Hi guys

Thanks for the input. Personally I steer clear of continuous forms and data sheets as I prefer to display grid type views with a grid. It just looks better. It's a hard Jon to make something look nice yet, keep a layout looking similar while other modules work differently. I'm all for eye candy but it has to work. I add lots of functionality behind the scenes.

It's mainly the layout. What type of menu? Side, top, ribbon. What should the user see when the application opens?

Those types of issues I'm dealing with at the minute


Cheers


Nigel

There you go, I am completely the other way round. I use continuous forms all the while, generally with an "expand" option to zoom to a single form view of a selected item. eg - the sample I uploaded

I really dislike the concept of having to search a single form for the item you want, especially when there are hundreds or thousands to choose from. If I have to use a single form, then I add search fields, comob boxes, and so on - to help find the right item.

 

[Simon_MT]

This is what my users see when opening the application. I add their logo to the right.

Simon

 

[NigelShaw]

There you go, I am completely the other way round. I use continuous forms all the while, generally with an "expand" option to zoom to a single form view of a selected item. eg - the sample I uploaded

I really dislike the concept of having to search a single form for the item you want, especially when there are hundreds or thousands to choose from. If I have to use a single form, then I add search fields, comob boxes, and so on - to help find the right item.

Hi Dave

The grid displays data very similar to data sheet but it's more flexible. It shows images and other functions. I also haveva search box on certain forms

I've decided to make a dashboard that will display the current user items like tasks, messages, jobs etc. I'll post a screenshot over the next few days.

Cheers

Nidge