Enterprise Portal

Workspaces help make our cloud solutions easier to navigate and more intuitive for users. The content must be relevant and well organized in order to help the user be more productive and ensure that they’re satisfied.

Follow this checklist to help you create meaningful widget-based Workspaces that are designed for the human in front of the computer:

---

Align the content with the user

• ​​​​​​Have a point of view.
• A Workspace should help the user accomplish their top tasks, as defined by the user persona.
  • If this isn’t possible, either the persona needs to be revisited, or the content needs to be enhanced.
• A Workspace should include the persona’s main activities on a typical day.
• Each widget should be actionable in some way, so that the user can be productive.
• The information should be tailored for the persona, providing useful analysis and actionable predictions—not just raw data!​​​​​​​

---

Be concise

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​Less is more.
• Make the content simple and easy to navigate. Limit scrolling.
• Include only essential information and provide just enough context for the user to make an informed decision.
• Use summative data visualizations (tables, pie charts, bar graphs, etc.) to help make complex information digestible and meaningful. Present data with logical actions and insights for the user.
  • For example, a bar chart comparing vacation days and sick days may be less helpful than a list that shows days used and days remaining for each category, with actions offered for submitting time off.
• Don’t make two widgets when one would do.
  • For example, if you’re creating a widget for a user to see unapproved purchase orders, consider creating a widget for viewing purchase orders and adding filtering/configuration options for unapproved purchase orders.
• Avoid creating Workspaces that duplicate content. If it’s possible that a user may be assigned multiple Workspaces, there should be as little overlap as possible.

---

Prioritize content

• Position widgets according to the user persona’s goals and logical work progression. The most urgent items should appear at the top-left. Items should then descend in priority in the order that the user reads: left to right, then down.
  • Review the full set of widgets as a holistic Workspace. It should be easy to scan and interpret at first glance. Related widgets should be near each other for convenience. The business value of every widget should be clear to the user.

---

Streamline the navigation

• Users should be able to take simple actions using widgets in a Workspace.
• Don’t try to cram everything into a widget or modal, when jumping out to the application makes more sense.  
• Link out to relevant applications or other sources for more complex actions, or if the user needs more information and context.
• Place widgets with related functions beside/near each other for ease of use.
  • For example, a buyer opens their Workspace at the beginning of the day and is alerted to the most urgent actions they need to do: Approve a rush requisition, reconcile an invoicing discrepancy, and close an open purchase order line. The user will be given enough context to make decisions directly from the Workspace. They’re also given the option to drill into the application, if they need more information. Once these actions are taken, the item is then cleared from the Workspace and the next priority item is added to the buyer’s list.

---

Use common terms only

• Widget titles should be simple. The title should clearly say to the user—especially new users—what the widget does.
• Limit the use of acronyms or overly technical jargon.

---

Ensure design fidelity and accessibility

• Only use SoHo components from the Infor Design System and follow design best practices from design.infor.com.
• Ensure that your design is inclusive by aligning it with accessibility best practices.
  • For example, how to best apply color coding as an indicator for users who are color blind.
• Ensure that the Workspace renders well in mobile and on smaller devices. Test your design responsiveness using Infor Go and a mobile browser.