TrackStudio Forum

[trackman]

I have undertaken a fairly comprehensive review of the TrackStudio 4 UI focusing on the Task and Subtasks/Task List views as those are the ones that get most exposure.

My review suggests improvements that would address what I see as some of its shortcomings. The review is available here:

http://www.trackstudio.com/restricted/docs/en/TS4%20Interface%20Review.doc

Do add your comments to this topic or annotate your own copy of the document and send it to Maxim.

[admin]

I like to describe there why we have choosed current design. Please let me know if the current design or suggested by trackman seems better for you.

I am refer the original .doc file sectons later.

1) We have placed "Hello" and search bar below menu because menu contains many elements, graphics and catch attention. It's more natural for human to scan page down later (because we read top-down), not up. I am worry, that search bar will be in the blind area otherwise.

2) Many new users have problems even with task creation/filtering in TS 3.5. Our goal in 4.0 was to create very visible buttons like "Submit a bug" or "My issues" on a toolbar. Because we cannot place all task categories and all filters to the toolbar, we move rarely used to menu (we have taken this idea from gmail UI). So I like to left most popular user actions on the toolbar, not hide them in menus.

Another our goal - avoid "task", "filter", "message" wording on user pages, I think this is extra concept and more direct wording should be used. For example, instead of "Task Actions"->"Note" I prefer "Add a note" or "Comment this issue".

In TrackStudio 3.1 we have menu item "Create a task" and many customer ask us, how to create a project. In 3.5 we have changed this to "Create a task or a project" and customers ask us often "What is the difference between task and project". I like to solve this problem forever Our main goal there not to reduce mouse clicks or improve navigation, but to make UI more task-driven: user likes to "submit issue", not "create a task".

3) We have decided to remove "task description" wording and frames around description to make it more similar to plain document. Task should looks like plain document (title, body, etc), all task fields like submit date or assignee should be somewhere else.

Some issues trackers (JIRA) move this info to the left part of screen, but we already have tree there and this is not possible in TS, so we have moved it below.

4) You suggestions looks fine, I'll discuss it with developers.

5) In TS4 you can mark a few message, click "Note" and selected messages will be quoted. This is my reason why we require buttons around message list, not just the last message.

If you use ASC sorting order for messages, TrackStudio will place last message to the bottom of the page. In this case, you can open task page, read name and description at the top, click "->" button and move to the bottom of the page with last message and list of actions. You needn't to scroll down/up the page to search the "Last message" area .

[trackman]

1) We have placed "Hello" and search bar below menu because menu contains many elements, graphics and catch attention. It's more natural for human to scan page down later (because we read top-down), not up. I am worry, that search bar will be in the blind area otherwise.

My view is:
a) logoff link is most often in top right hand corner of page.
b) kowing your own name and current roles is not important enough to justify using space below the menu bar.
c) search box is rarely used (most often for entering a task number) and so having it top left is no loss
d) drop down menu items cutting across the "Hello" and search bar looks strange.
e) why separate the Menu bar from the Task that it deals with
f) seems to be a change from the existing layout with little benefit.

2) Many new users have problems even with task creation/filtering in TS 3.5. Our goal in 4.0 was to create very visible buttons like "Submit a bug" or "My issues" on a toolbar. Because we cannot place all task categories and all filters to the toolbar, we move rarely used to menu (we have taken this idea from gmail UI). So I like to left most popular user actions on the toolbar, not hide them in menus.

f) problem here is that there could be many popular actions and the will, when presented as separate icons, take up a lot of space and look messy. If menu name is made meaningful (Actions... ) it should be clear where the user has to go. Either way you have to have a menu name.

Another our goal - avoid "task", "filter", "message" wording on user pages, I think this is extra concept and more direct wording should be used. For example, instead of "Task Actions"->"Note" I prefer "Add a note" or "Comment this issue".

g) I agree. Having more meaningful items that get away from the words you mention is good but I can't see the benefit of scattering these icons all over the place!

3) We have decided to remove "task description" wording and frames around description to make it more similar to plain document. Task should looks like plain document (title, body, etc), all task fields like submit date or assignee should be somewhere else.

Some issues trackers (JIRA) move this info to the left part of screen, but we already have tree there and this is not possible in TS, so we have moved it below.

h) I think this just looks plain strange. Maybe you can have a bar down the left-hand sid indicating that this is a separate block of content (containing the expand and collapse icons)[/quote]

5) In TS4 you can mark a few message, click "Note" and selected messages will be quoted. This is my reason why we require buttons around message list, not just the last message.

i) I'm sure that most frequently it is going to be only the few most recent messages that are quoted. Anyhow, adding something that may not be completely necessary at the bottom of the screen makes no difference.

If you use ASC sorting order for messages, TrackStudio will place last message to the bottom of the page. In this case, you can open task page, read name and description at the top, click "->" button and move to the bottom of the page with last message and list of actions. You needn't to scroll down/up the page to search the "Last message" area .

j) I can see some logic in what you are saying here but I can't see the "->" button.