Business Need

Adobe wanted a video conferencing system that would allow users in multiple locations to communicate effectively and to share ideas without having to constantly travel. In addition to displaying images from cameras, the system also had to display content from laptops, videos, DVDs, and satellite TVs. Most importantly, the video conferencing touch screen control had to be usable for everyone from secretaries to technical staff and from first time users to power users.

Strategy & Solution

We conducted in-depth interviews with Adobe video conference users to identify the most essential functions of the system, as well as the areas where users made the most mistakes. This research allowed us to design an interface with several innovations that help users perform all of their tasks without getting lost or confused.

Our design featured:

• A single main screen which prevents users from getting lost in a maze of menus and useless functionality.
• A grouping of controls into Screen, Phone, and Room which helps the users to orient themselves visually on the screen.
• The placement of the left and right “screen” in the UI which mimics how conference rooms are physically set up with two screens, so that users can quickly make adjustments.
• A “Quick Start Wizard” which guides users when starting a meeting, ensuring that nothing important is missed.