03-ux.tex
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\section{User eXperience evolution}
The integration of collaborative environments goes beyond functional aspects.
Offering the population an unified experience across these environments has
been the key to encourage the use of the platform as it reduces the perception
of complexity. Thus, the SPB Portal information architecture was redesigned
to provide a transparent navigation and to reach users with different profiles.
A process of harmonization has been employed on the interaction models of each
tool to reduce the learning curve. At the same time, a new visual style was
created to unify the navigation experience and to comply with the guidelines of
the digital communication identity standard established by the Federal
Government.
With the increase in system features and the addition of new tools, the
visual style has steadily evolved to keep the navigation unified. Moreover,
tools from different backgrounds, which in many cases provide similar
functionality, prompted the development of an unified interface. Some
features, such as search and user profile editing were eliminated from
the individual applications, and implemented centrally to ensure a
consistent look and feel.
Another challenge was responsive web design. The integrated applications
had varying degrees of support for responsiveness, and the common
interface had to adapt for each individual scenario. In particular
Noosfero did not yet have a responsive design; we engaged in its
development and contributed towards that goal.
After the initial release of the new SPB Portal in 2014, several
validations activities were implemented in 2015 and 2016. The aim was to
provide the most wanted features by casual users (such as public
servants interested in downloads and documentation) immediately, while
allowing more experienced users (such as developers) to easily drill down
to the details.