Design Principles

The Progress Infra 360 Design System (I3DS) embodies key design principles that guide our teams in creating intuitive, accessible, and high-quality user experiences. These principles are foundational to making consistent design decisions and ensuring that each product across the Infra 360 suite delivers meaningful value to users. Regardless of specific implementation methods, these principles should inform every stage of design and development.

Begin with Real User Needs

Design should begin with a clear understanding of user needs. Whether users are customers, internal teams, or other stakeholders, incorporating real user feedback into the design process is critical. Testing assumptions with real users throughout the development lifecycle helps teams stay focused on what’s most impactful.

Key Considerations:

Who are the primary users, and what needs will this product address?
What research methods, such as user interviews or personas, have been employed to connect design decisions with user needs?
How frequently are prototypes tested with real users to validate functionality and usability?

Practical Actions:

Begin research early, using both qualitative and quantitative methods to define goals, needs, and behaviors.
Use prototypes to test ideas and adjust based on user feedback.
Document and share findings to keep the team aligned on user priorities.

Build Trust

Trust must be earned by being reliable, consistent, and transparent. Meeting or exceeding user expectations requires consistent communication and design. Trust is maintained by protecting user data, ensuring system stability, and responding to issues with speed and transparency.

Key Considerations:

Are data and privacy managed responsibly?
Is the content clear, accessible, and easy to follow?
How is reliability maintained through testing, redundancy, and regular updates?

Practical Actions:

Regularly review and update content to ensure accuracy and clarity.
Continuously monitor the system and test for unintended regressions.
Publish open data and code where appropriate, and respond quickly to issues.

Embed Accessibility for Everyone

Accessibility is essential for reaching the widest audience and is embedded in every design decision. I3DS is designed to be clearly readable, intuitive, and usable for a diverse audience, including those who use alternative input devices or screen readers. From color and typography to interactions and language, every element meets or exceeds accessibility standards, ensuring usability for all, regardless of abilities, device types, or languages.

Key Considerations:

Are all elements navigable via keyboard, and can screen readers access all content effectively?
Are color contrasts, text sizes, and layouts optimized for readability and accessibility?
Do components support bi-directional languages, localization, and cultural contexts?

Practical Actions:

Use accessibility testing tools and conduct manual tests regularly to confirm compliance.
Follow established standards like WCAG and Section 508 and design with inclusivity in mind from the start.
Ensure visual and functional consistency for all languages and contexts, and design components that are accessible to everyone across all platforms.

For All Platforms

Users should experience seamless interactions across devices, from desktops to mobile. I3DS is built with scalable components that maintain visual consistency and functional reliability across all supported platforms. This adaptability reduces the cognitive load for users who frequently switch contexts and ensures high legibility and efficient interactions on any screen size.

Key Considerations:

Are components legible and functional on all target screen sizes?
Does the design scale effectively to provide a consistent experience across devices?

Practical Actions:

Ensure all UI components are responsive and optimized for mobile and desktop.
Test interactions across a variety of devices to confirm seamless user experience.
Prioritize legibility and usability on every platform.

Promote Continuity

Providing a cohesive experience across Infra 360 products is essential for user familiarity and efficiency. Consistency doesn't mean uniformity; it means starting with shared design solutions and values, allowing unique needs to be met while still delivering a unified experience.

Key Considerations:

Does the product’s visual language align with the rest of the Infra 360 ecosystem?
Are multi-step processes clear, consistent, and easy to follow?
Does the service function effectively across all supported devices and browsers?

Practical Actions:

Use a shared style guide for design elements and content across products.
Connect related services with a unified style and functionality.
Test for cross-platform compatibility and optimize for mobile devices.

Evolving and Transparent

I3DS is built with transparency and adaptability in mind, evolving based on feedback and needs. Each component is versioned and has an open issue list to communicate its status and encourage iterative improvement. Transparency helps set clear expectations, builds trust, and strengthens relationships with users and contributors.

Key Considerations:

Are all changes and updates documented and accessible to teams?
Do components include open issues and version tracking?

Practical Actions:

Provide clear versioning and changelogs for all components.
Openly communicate updates, improvements, and changes across teams.
Encourage feedback to support continuous evolution of the system.

Built by a Community

The strength of I3DS lies in the collaborative contributions of teams across Progress. By incorporating diverse talents and perspectives, I3DS becomes a robust, versatile design system that supports all Infra 360 products. Teams are encouraged to contribute new design elements and improvements, enhancing the system for everyone.

Key Considerations:

How are teams encouraged to participate in the evolution of I3DS?
Are contributions and feedback documented and acknowledged?

Practical Actions:

Establish a contribution process for new elements and improvements.
Recognize and document contributions from across Progress.
Facilitate regular feedback loops to keep the system community-driven.

Listen and Adapt

Continuous feedback from users is crucial for iterative improvement. Regularly measure user satisfaction and observe user behavior through analytics to understand how well a product meets needs and where it can improve.

Key Considerations:

How is feedback collected and integrated into product updates?
What metrics are tracked to gauge success and user satisfaction?
Are team members engaged in user research to stay connected to real user experiences?

Practical Actions:

Actively gather feedback through surveys, analytics, and issue tracking.
Include all team members in user interviews and research activities.
Regularly analyze and address feedback and usage data to drive improvements.