This document summarizes a presentation about usability lessons learned from developing the world's largest XPages application. The key lessons discussed are: 1. Performance is critical - techniques like using a single XPage design and preloading can improve speed. 2. Users need visibility into application status - indicators should clearly show that an action is happening. 3. Views require a different approach on the web - out-of-the-box views don't work well, while search and query builders have limitations. Using a framework like EXTJS for customizable grids can provide a better user experience.

1. AD112: Usability Lessons From the
Worlds Largest XPages Project
Andrew Barickman
Practice Leader – Collaboration
PSC Group
@ajbarickman
ajbarickman@psclistens.com

2. F O U N D E D I N 1 9 9 0

3. • Integration • Mobile Enablement
• Workflow • Custom Applications
• Rules Engines • Dashboards
• Collaboration • Process Improvement
• SOA • Agile/Sustainable Architectures
• Portals/Websites
Our Partners

4. PSC Group, LLC is a professional
PSC consultants specialize in all things IBM Lotus, from infrastructure to administration to
services and information technology development. From health checks to installation to find tuning your applications. Our specialty
consulting firm that understands is in transforming your Notes applications into the next generation of XPages applications. We
technology is fundamental in the can modernize your critical business applications and infuse them with social and mobile
development of business solutions.
Success is collaboration, creation and functionality.
innovation. It’s about taking what a
business does and making it better.
F O U N D E D I N 1 9 9 0

5. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
About Me
• Nearly 20 years delivering Lotus / Notes Domino work
• Started at Lotus in Boston
• Manage PSC’s Collaboration Practice at PSC
• Delivery
• Personnel
• Sales Support
• Team and Project Technical Direction
• Contact Information
• abarickman@psclistens.com
• @ajbarickman

6. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Agenda
• The Application
• Define Usability
• Lesson One – Performance
• Lesson Two – Activity Indicators
• Lesson Three – Views
• Questions

7. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
The Worlds Largest? Really?
• 100,000 Users
• 105 Countries
• 12 different resources from PSC
• Nearly 1 million dollars
• Modalities – The promise of XPages
• 4 Browsers
• Notes – Connected & Notes – Disconnected
• Mobile

8. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
What does it do?
• Highly tailored Team Room
• Manages the content for all of their customer
engagements
• Full application lifecycle management

9. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Application Design / Constraints
• Limited to 8.5.2 due to roll out constraints
• Thousands of instances of the same design spread
across many servers
• Self contained so that it can be replicated and used
locally
• Support all different modalities that XPages allows
• YEARS of highly complex, business specific and
customized code

10. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
What is Usability?
That which makes your users say I like that
application.

11. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Performance
• If the application does not perform nothing else
you do to it matters
• Single Copy XPage design
• Major XPINC performance improvement in
8.5.4 (in CD4 now)
• Preloading

12. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Visibility Indicators
• Where is my lightning bolt?
• Users need to know that something is
happening
• Two Levels Demoed
• Good
• Best

13. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Getting Views on the Web Right
• XPages and web development require a new
approach
• Fundamentally different than in Notes
• Key interface to nearly every application you
build
• Get it right and your users will love you

14. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Views – Out of the Box
FAIL
Yeah… like I am going to page to get to what I want

15. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Views – Search
C-
Your users don’t know FT search syntax…

16. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Views – Query Builder
B+
C-

17. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Views – EXTJS Grid
A+

18. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Views – EXTJS Grid Architecture

19. AD102: Usability Lessons - XPages
Questions?