Solution
The Kiandra team worked from the ground up in redeveloping the SPA, beginning by identifying the typical users of the application, their goals, and the experience they would expect – designing an experience free from the constraints of earlier versions. A true greenfields design.
Along with identifying the users, Kiandra also analysed the way they would use the application. Given the nature of the tool, eaglei is not an application that users would necessarily have open all day. Users would typically open the application, investigate an alert or check performance, then close it. This usage pattern was factored into the design, to ensure information users needed quickly was surfaced up front, with minimal interaction.
The new, slick, modern user interface comprises of two main powerful features:
- ‘States’ and ‘statuses’ of monitored applications bubble up to the unified dashboard
- A global time filter that allows users to focus all data in the entire product from a single control point.
The enormous volumes of data beneath the surface are displayed dynamically via a series of interactive charts and graphs. The graphs offer controls that manipulate the data, and are rich with a variety of popovers which display the next level of information the user would expect to see, all without leaving their current view, or even having to click.
The core of the SPA is built using cutting edge component based design, allowing display elements to be self-aware, which enables a series of conditions that dictate how the dashboard is displayed. Users that only monitor a few applications enjoy an expanded view, giving them second level data on the dashboard to make the best use of the available screen real-estate. Conversely, those that monitor a large volume of applications are served a condensed view, giving them full visibility on the dashboard without ever having to scroll.
To enhance communications between users, a designated ‘critical mode’ enables a visual treatment that propagates to all connected users, making them aware of situations needing investigation or monitoring. Critical mode has a specific TV experience for network operation centres, which automatically full-screens application tiles in critical mode for monitoring during incidents.
In addition to high level data views, when eaglei runs a monitoring job it records video artefacts. As such the SPA includes a powerful video player with playback controls, and a split screen that marries the video with eaglei’s unique KPI metrics, allowing the user to follow the steps and assertions made by the monitoring job. The synchronised steps and assertions are represented on screen by icons which identify success or failure, but shape overlays are also displayed on sections of the screen where the monitoring job is looking for images, buttons or text that are critical to the job progressing.
The SPA is fully dynamic and scalable, giving Remasys a robust product that will grow with their business.