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Technologies

In contrast to the ticketing application, there was no existing predecessor for MPV Control Center. It was to be built new, from the ground up. By taking the knowledge gained from developing MyProVenue, we leveraged similar web technologies as they've proved more than sufficient.

Planning the User Journey

The first task was making sense of the numerous data points and customizable features. With a broad stroke, the information was grouped by location within the flow. Not long after, the inefficiencies of the single-tier approach presented several drawbacks. The leading areas of concern included the following:

• As the data was grouped on a single hierarchy level, mixed dataset grouping would be commonplace and difficult to navigate.
• Duplicity was an issue because a specific setting could be found in more than one category.
• The lack of granularity in the data grouping presented inefficient sorting.

Below is the initial design that depicts the base framework of MPV Control Center.

With the lessons learned from the first attempt, the next effort was to incorporate an additional level of categorization. As the issue of general grouping persisted, the ability to hone in on a subset of data demonstrated signs of promise when presenting a rather large dataset. Subsequently, the method of secondary grouping by a term's leading character presented itself.

Below is a design that incorporates a secondary level which organizes by the leading character.

As with the first endeavor, we found that the secondary grouping method continued to lack a sense of efficiency and precision. With previous methods employing the same approach of grouping by location, it was time to look at the data from a different perspective. Taking a step back, the settings and variables were arranged by type at their highest level. Once arranged by type, classification by location within the flow was taken into account.

With our new vantage point came clarity, primary grouping by data type followed by location within the experience.

In the light of newfound certainty regarding the information arrangement, we discovered that the presentation of the category hierarchy required additional consideration. While confident in the structure, the delivery left a lot to be desired. The method of selecting a main category followed by selecting a subcategory didn't sit well with users during the testing phase. Practically, it made sense. However, it still lacked efficiency.

In contrast, an alternate method of including a horizontal sub-navigation was given consideration. However, the shortcomings of the design proved restrictive as well. With a horizontal sub-navigation, the number of visible subcategories was limited by the user's device resolution. To further amplify the issue, we discovered that the number of subcategories often exceeded the viewport width at the lowest supported resolution. This required unnecessary interaction as a horizontal carousel was required to display the groupings. Still, knowing that the structure worked, we pressed on.

Mindful of strides made so far, the ongoing goal was to minimize friction while maintaining efficiency. By considering similar UI components, the final design employs both a tabbed approach with a nested, custom dropdown. On initial selection of a given tab, a catch-all subcategory would prepopulate. From there, the user had the opportunity to drill down further. Below is a depiction of the final, approved design.

Closing Thoughts

With the positive adoption of MyProVenue, similar clients have expressed their satisfaction with MPV Control Center. As a self-service CMS, providing clients with the ability to update their content has mitigated the update requests made by client representatives. Ultimately, it saves time for both the client and the in-house design team.