| 1) Custom Settings Menu
This AJAX enabled selector menu can be used to navigate all portlets in a users layout. By selecting a portlet, uPortal should focus that portlet view for the user. This feature would give users persistent access to any portlet in the portal from one easy location. Depending on how this would be implemented, it may help disabled users since the screen reader would hit this list first.
2) Portlet Menu
This portlet should be displayed only in wide columns and prevented from being displayed in narrow columns As mentioned in the description above, this is basically the "preferences" options rolled-up into an easily accessible menu. The current thinking is that certain options will invoke a lightbox UI that will grey out the screen and present users with preference functionality. Additionally, the user will be offered more "on-the-fly" options like swapping skins. By rolling over different skins in the list, the system will present a balloon type call-out with a thumbnail and possibly a description to aid the user in making a selection.
2) Portlet Menu
The portlet menu serves as a way to consolidate the various controls typically located in the portlet header. Doing a brief and fairly informal survey, I found that most users typically don't minimize / maximize their portlets very often. The do however focus them, but this interaction could be better handled directly with content that taps into the various portlet states (more on this at a later time). For now, the idea is that the portlet menu and the delete option will be the only controls that are surfaced up to the chrome level. |
