Re: [WEB400] Customer Service -- Online

["Nathan M. Andelin" <nandelin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: "Bartell, Aaron L. (TC)" <ALBartell@taylorcorp.com>

> but my questions come more in the area of how to design the
> navigational pieces -- side menu bar, top tabs, etc.

User interface design is such a broad topic.  But database design often
provides the best basis for UI navigation.  For example, links between
database tables often provide the best basis for links between HTML forms.

> this may be jumping the gun, but I want to know what has been
> done before and what works good.  I also want to make it so I
> can plug in different customer service modules as they are
> created.

The following screen shot from Siebel offers one example:

http://www.siebel.com/images/scrn/scrn_lrg_marke_home.gif

Multiple Siebel products implement common styles (color, font, graphics,
etc.), and design patterns (the top tab, for example), which give them a
common look and feel.

They stretch HTML to it's limits.  They seem to implement components that
require MS Internet Explorer, which supports more dynamic HTML effects
(popup HTML calculators and calendars, for example).  They evidently use a
lot of Javascript in conjunction with the MS XML parser, in some cases,
which may be cool, but I'm not totally sold on.

A good user interfaces provide a balance between ease of use, and operator
efficiency.  Many Web applications are poor at both, often taking inordinate
steps to complete a dialog, or perform a procedure.  Some focus more on
animation than application.  Instead, be sensitive to the proficiency of the
user and what the s/he needs to accomplish.

Nathan M. Andelin
www.relational-data.com