Case Study: 3Com’s network switch interface

From 2002-2008 I was responsible for design of the Command Line and GUI of 3Com’s products. I took the three user interfaces to the product; Command Line, Web and Hardware and designed them around a single mental model of the product. My design intention was to create an experience where a user could switch between each context of use and be presented with a level of familiarity that met their mental model of the system.

Front panel interface

In collaboration with the Mechanical engineer I incorporated aspects of the CLI & GUI in to the front panel decal. So, when the user moves between the electronic and physical UIs they are presented with a consistent nomenclature & data reference.

Web interface

The previous web ui was a very literal representation of the device, almost photo realistic. I took a more pragmatic approach to the functional interactions required for the redesign, removed unnecessary visual artifacts and added progressive disclosure of details to lighten the data density from the summary page.

Result

The design intention is that the user has a unified mental model of the interface across the two contexts; virtual & in the wiring closet. They also see a consistent use of nomenclature and interaction as they grow in expertise from Web to Command line interfaces.
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Analogue feedback of network utilisation

I grew up in and around boats making wiring looms and control panels, and have a collection of gauges & dials normally found connected to small marine engines. I like re-using the old analogue gauges to display information in a more human readable analogue form. Tying my past to the present to some degree. I used a 3″ rev counter, simple clean design, that came of one of the boats my dad owned when I was a kid and wired it in to a wireless router I had lying around at work. The rev counter is a rough approximation of the traffic utilisation between my home network and the internet.



http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/28/classy-wooden-router-literally-gauges-network-utilization/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Wireless-home-router-with-analogue-utilisation-met/

Touch desk

As a user interface designer, my job involves understanding people’s goals and then creating a design that meets those needs. In practice I aim to create interfaces that allow people to focus less on their software tools and more on their work. I’ve taken this thinking and applied directly to my own workflow as a UI designer by creating a peripheral which reduces the barriers between the concepts in my head and results on screen.
Published in Make Magazine Issue 27. Read the PDF.