The panels that can be opened in a contextual situation (right-side) we call 'overlays'.
In the Suite, several entities are available (see Entities). Per each entity, a specific set of information is available to display. The display of this data is often contextual information, shown in the right side (see Panels). The right-side panels that can be closed, we call 'overlays'.
The problem
Our previous overlay system allowed stacking overlays on top of each other, without allowing the user to track back their steps. This created serious issues:
User confusion (users lost track of what was open)
Navigation failure (difficult to figure out how to track back)
Lost progress (opening another overlay while working on a ticket, would lose all progress)
Task abandonment (high complexity led to users giving up)
The decision
Simplify radically. A simple layout, simple interaction and simple navigation.
Primary content stays undisturbed. Users should maintain focus on their main content, while aiding themselves to secondary information.
The main three-pane structure of the Suite. An overlay is highlighted in blue.
Single overlay at a time
Opening a new overlay replaces the current one
No stacking WITHOUT changing the URL
Can't get lost in nested layers
Browser navigation
Back button returns to previous state
Forward button reopens overlay (after going back)
Familiar interaction
Enables tracking back through the users path
URL reflects overlay state
The URL always reflects the overlay state, as shown in the table below:
URL
Context pane
/chat/123123/
Initial overlay (relation card)
/chat/123123/contract/456456
Unit overlay
/chat/123133/ticket/789789
Ticket overlay
Structure
Header
Visual
Each overlay refers to an entity. Each entity has its own visual identity which makes it easy for users to recognize the entity type. More about this in Entities.
Title and CTA
The title of the entity is displayed. If available, the main CTA of the entity is displayed in the header.
Interactions
By clicking on the title of the overlay, the user can navigate to the entity in a standalone view.
Close
On the top-right side (common pattern), the overlay can be closed.
Interactions
Close the overlay
Tabs
The tab group is the main navigation for the content of the overlay.
Default active tab is 'Details', unless a conversation is available (Chat, E-mail).
