Introduction
When working with two or more entities for insight, which is the main value proposition of Fibery, the most basic daily usage need is not yet met:
- Keeping Visual Panel Context: Making left panel stick whilst browsing in the right panel, and vice versa.
- Keeping Non-visual Panel Context: Minimizing panels for later retrieval, either as half panel or side-by-side pair.
Need
To put often unrelated or remotely related entities side by side, in many uses cases where they compare, edit, get insight, etc.
For example creating a new version, while seeing the previous version. Or working on new content while sourcing information from an unrelated source text.
Issue
This is possible only if the entities have a direct relationship.
If not, the current breadcrumb-navigating makes it difficult or impossible to display them as panels side-by-side. The left panel is lost when navigating to the other entity.
Do not rely on multiple browser tabs
We dont want such fundamental need to be reliable on multiple browser tabs, that is the worst user experience; the panel pair cannot be saved under one URL, and users have multiple tabs open for other applications in their browser (the windows fibery app is not an option for me, too much hassle for users, and loss of browser features)
Suggestion
Make panels ‘sticky’ in some way, so they don’t disappear when browsing away in fibery.
For example:
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‘Pin’ a panel while in the half-page display, such that it sticks while navigating in the other panel.
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Implement a ‘Minimize’ to a toolbar at the bottom. Similar to the Windows horizontal taskbar, panels could be stored for retrieval, combining etc.
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Also, maybe an experimental feature: a switch between breadcrumb navigation and multidirectional/fixed panel navigation.
