Informed Portal Design

A Balancing Act
An enterprise portal is a complex socio-technical solution to a new genre of business opportunities that has emerged since the Internet revolution. New realities call for new methods. Informed Design is a philosophy and best practice framework for integrating analysis and a broadened perspective that includes the people-centered design of portal-based business solutions. This framework fits within the LDS Methodology, The Logical ApproachSM, and ensures that design reflects portal strategy.
Iteration Balances Analysis and Design
Conventional approaches sequence analysis and then design. But, analysis can take on a life of it's own – and, as questions come up during design, decisions go uniformed. Informed Design, develops an initial understanding and moves right into design, framing the challenges and proposing solutions that raise new questions for analysis to answer (i.e., iteration).
Many Aspects Inform Design
Anchored in a defined portal strategy, the next step is to envision how the portal will impact the future business environment and the collective behavior of people.

Current conditions are examined to determine how they can enable or hinder the success of an enterprise portal – what resources could be leveraged for value, how users behave today, the standards being used that could limit design and the readiness of technical and governance infrastructure. Then the future foundation is envisioned, spelling out the key dependencies that must be managed to ensure the portal can have the full impact envisioned.
Validations Ensure Impact and Feasibility
With a clear image of how a portal will affect the future of the business, and after articulating the dependencies for supporting such a solution – selected user asessments are performed to test the design hypotheses, and technical proofs-of-concept are conducted to reduce the unknowns that would otherwise represent risks for the project.
Elaboration Completes Design
The results of considering key tradeoffs are formalized as design standards – templates that are used to detail every aspect of the portal experience. The templates are adjusted to ensure they bring the design integrity needed, but that they do not compromise impact for conformity.

Informed Design balances many factors – including the application of our People-Centered Design practices and our Adaptable and Scaleable Design practices for portal platforms – to optimize results as your portal strategy becomes your business reality.