conceptual structures

In the early 2000s, information architectures were used to describe the structure of websites. Today, however, the focus is less on content-rich websites and more on functional, complex tools. For this reason, in our work Conceptual Structures we have investigated new forms of representation for the structural description of digital products.

For a more detailed insight have a look at our project documentation

#1 method & application

To make conceptual design an integrated part of the product design process we created the desktop / tablet application Splice. The method and product enable teams to create and revise the conceptual structures of a digital product throughout its development cycle.

Through this we believe that teams can work with more conviction and ultimately ship products faster and with fewer inconsistencies.

01 Formulate Requirements
At the beginning, all stakeholders of a product team, such as product owners, designers and programmers, jointly write a requirements text. This text should briefly describe the main features of the planned software and serve as a common consensus that can be referred to at any time.   

02 Create Elements
Individual words from this text, which are important for the software, can be converted into unlabeled elements and subsequently sorted. Gradually, this should result in a structure of different objects, which can be supplemented by further elements.

03 Nesting Elements
The created elements can be nested, and links between them can be created.

05 Sketches
Designers have the option of creating sketches on a tablet application for individual UI elements as well as for entire areas. These can then be linked to the structure.

06 Task flows
Optionally, task flows can also be created before wireframes are created. These should help to keep an eye on the core requirements when designing wireframes step by step.

07 Linking Mode
In a later phase, the wireframes can be linked to the structure. In this way, the structure also adapts to changes in the wireframes and continues to develop dynamically. Conversely, the elements created in the wireframes can also be easily transferred to the structure.

#2 components & other features

Components of the developed method
The core of the method consists of a number of elements, which differ in their type. These are described in more detail in the video, using the structure of a whiteboard tool as an example.

Sorted protocols
After the meeting, the notes are saved in the minutes area, where they can be retrieved at any time. Various view modes enable quick sorting by category.