THE HYPOTHESIS

Evaluate and design responsive UI framework, data visualization, usable and beneficial concepts for interaction when querying, researching and customizing large-scale published media streams, managing subscription-based information feeds, displaying data analytics, as well as enhancing product brand recognition.

HIGH PRIORITY STORIES

-Sense of Location - 56% greater return on their application investments if designers simply make the searchable items easier to locate.

-Enabling users to focus on one activity or task at a time. Potentially less distraction and overwhelmed by other screen elements competing for their attention. For this to be a benefit, we obviously have to modularize the application in ways that make sense to users and minimize the need or distraction to refer to information contained in other areas.

-More goal driven - Allow self-learning a core set of features fairly easily during their early days of system use.

-Avoid a high learning curve - allow for users to explore the user interface and learn it's features.

-Simplify navigation - some navigation implementations risk pushing users into a state of cognitive strain which lessens the likelihood of them taking desirable actions.

DESIGN NOTES

-Tighter proximity for areas of information

-Flip the main tool bar on the right rail (home page / persistent)

-Optimize for ocular fixation areas 

-Expand on home page concept, to give wider breadth to news

-Flip trending to higher visibility

-Display snippets

-Other filters….monitoring on daily basis, more comfortable level, adjacent to other load. – quick filters, popular, or selective, or type in a keyword. Runs filtered view, plus other story activity

-Move to adaptive / responsive design direction

-Minimalist approach – single button navigation OR fly-out navigation provides additional discoverability.

-Begin connecting, mocking up structure – vertical smart phone, 724 tablet portrait

-New branding, color palette