The design process for the MatrixSuites product line was a bit of a challenge. It currently consists of 6 software products, all carrying out different tasks for businesses operations. However, from the beginning, it only made sense in my opinion to build a single interface that would easily carry over and work with each product's purpose.
Layout & Navigation
The main menu was placed at the top of the screen simply because I saw our software as being very data intensive. Table data in some cases would most likely include a good amount of columns, thus I came to the conclusion of needing as much horizontal space as possible. Along with the main menu placed up top, sits the utility menu (for user specific functions) and the product logo. In the main body content, you will see a tab system we implemented into some of our products, specifically DistribuSuite and LegalSuite. These applications contain many features, so we thought it would be convenient for a user to open several programs for multi-tasking.
Colors
Colors play a key role in user interaction. It catches attention and moves the eye. The MatrixSuites brand utilizes a range of blues and light grey color palette. We've decided to place the darker colors in the top header portion of the interface. This aids in guiding the eye to where we want more of the initial focus, since the main menu functions and utility bar reside in this area. The background of the page is colored in the light grey to bring out a little more prominence in the white of the main body content. The blues are also found in the designs button set so that they also pop on the page.
Re-branding
Assuming the layout will stay the same, colors can be easily switched out to match the client's own theme. With the power of stylesheets, re-branding is possible and can be carried out in a fairly streamlined way. This feature is loved by clients as it reenforces their own brand identity.
