No subject

Hi Jodi, 
Ah! ok. So its an information application. 
Sounds like you need a customizeable portal that the users should be able to
configure themselves. What are the reports that theya re most interested in?
What are the network systems that they are responsible for? Are there alerts
in this system? Then an inbox would be a definite good addition to a first
screen. 
I understand why you are unsettled with the splash screen design. The idea
of an information application like this one is that it needs to do more than
provide navigation. It needs to tell the user where they should go. If
networks have statuses (traffic lights) than you can have a symbol that
denotes bad network areas. The those flags can then be read by their
parents, which create a flag for them and so on so that the top level
folders get a flag if anything in it has a flag, this way indicating to the
user ... Look here! guiding them. Or you can just list out red flag items in
a portlet of sorts. In the end you have to give the user indications and
contexts about where to go if you are going to add value to the system.

Hope this summary is helpful to others!

Jodi

****************************************************
Jodi Bollaert
Compuware Corporation
jodi.bollaert at compuware.com
248.737.7300 ext. 10370

"Specializing in usability, information architecture, interaction design,
instructional design and more."




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