Challenge Summary
Welcome to the Merlin Query Builder Design Challenge!
In this challenge we need your help to design a query tool that will allow users to interrogate the database in an easy and smooth way. The client is looking for your UX skills to come up with different user flows on how the user should accomplish this.
For any doubts, feel free to ask any questions in the challenge forum!
1. Guide Tour
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
4. Lists Manager
5. Add New List
- As part of your checkpoint submission, you must upload your submission to Marvel App so we can provide direct feedback on your designs. Please include the Marvel App URL in your notes.txt.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow. Use the proper file numbers, (1, 2, 3, etc.)
1. Guide Tour
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
4. Dashboard – Composite Node Query
5. Save as Template
6. Lists Manager
7. Add New List
8. Templates
- As part of your Final submission, you must replace your checkpoint submission with the final submission into Marvel App so we can provide direct feedback on your designs. Please include the Marvel App URL in your notes.txt.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow. Use the proper file numbers, (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Design Problem
The goal of this application is to come up with a great UX design for a new tool, that will allow any person within the company to query the database without having to reach to the IT team, who is now using SQL queries for this.
The database contains all of the report metadata (risk type, calculation, breakdown, attributes, etc. fields use in scripts and reports). A script is an XML file which has one or more reports associated to it. For example, a user may wish to search against this database to find out which reports would be affected by a change of the “Risk Type” parameter (Risk type values can be “A”, “B”, “BB”, etc.). They would input the risk type value and the query would be sent off to the database. The user is returned a list of scripts which contain the searched risk type along with any related reports.
Most of the times, the client is using same criteria for their search, so they have 9 predefined queries. Note: we don’t have to add a new custom query in this challenge, just show the user experience around 3 of the 9 predefined queries as these are not totally fixed as parameters, but have some degree of flexibility .
Required Pages
In this challenge we are asking for couple of desktop designs. We are attaching a wireframe with the most important pages. Please use them as a starting point in your design and try not to copy it. Look to improve the user experience and design a great user interface.
1. Guide Tour
When the user logs into the application he might be a little overwhelmed to see a lot of information, so we want to make things easier for him and show a guiding tour. This can be something based on dashboard page using tooltips or it can be a slideshow presentation. We are open to your creative ideas.
The only thing we’d like you for sure to use here, is our cool and fun logo, the Merlin character, that should greet user when he first logs in to the application.
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
On his dashboard the user can see the following:
1) Navigation: logo, menu and profile name
2) Server stats: total scripts percentage populated in Merlin, total reports populated in Merlin, etc
3) Pre-defined queries: these are the queries we described above where user has the ability to do small customizations. For example, in an Impact Query, user can chose from all input types that exists (Calculation Method, Entities, Attributes, Business Organization, Risk Types, Parameters, etc.), BUT in an Impact Re-Org Query he can select only the Business Organization option
4) Today’s Query Queue: when the user submits the current query, it will be added to a queue of queries. User can submits queries one after the other, so he needs to see the status of them: which one is running now, which is instantiated (in the queue), cancelled, rejected, completed, has an error or unknown status. User can remove a query from list at any time and that won’t be executed at all and he can also view a completed query, which will show table of results. If he keeps scrolling, user will see the entire history of the queries for that day.
5) Query Results: this represents the table with all scripts and reports associated to the parameters in the query. Each parameter from the query, will be a field in the table’s header. User can download the result as CSV.
6) SQL Syntax: if the user has checked the option to display the syntax behind the query that was set up before, he will see its code and can copy for further re-use.
Check the wireframe to see the exact content of this page, but look to improve the user experience.
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
User will see this page, when he clicks on second tab Re-Org. The list of fields that you need to show for this pre-defined query is similar to the Impact Query tab. Please check the wireframes for the exact content.
When you look at the Today’s Queries Queue, you will see that one of the Query has the status “ERROR 451”. The user should be able to click on it and show more details. Show us how that looks.
4. Dashboard – Composite Node Query
User will see this page, when he clicks on the last tab ”Composite Node”. The list of fields that you need to show for this pre-defined query is shown in the wireframes. The number of statements might vary, so take that in consideration when you design these pages.
5. Save as Template
User can save the query they’ve run or plan on running as a query template. The query template will save all the inputs populated by the user. When saving the query template they will save it to the server using any name they wish. If a template with the same name exists already, the user is requested to either overwrite the existing template or choose a different name.
6. Lists Manager
The user can create a list of customized scripts and he can manage them. He can see the existing script lists, he can edit an existing list by renaming it, removing one or more scripts or adding another script to it, he can totally delete a list script or add a new one.
7. Add New List
When a person wants to add a new list he can either create and name a new list by manually entry of copy/paste of other scripts names OR he can create and name a new script list through loading a file with a predefined list of script names. Please check the wireframe to see a representation of this, but bring new ideas around the best user experience.
8. Templates
On this page, the user can manage his query templates: he can see all saved templates, he can edit and delete them. Please check the wireframe to see the content, but show us what other information might be useful to have on this page.
Branding
We have provided the Merlin Branding. Look to follow their colors and text guiding and use the Merlin logo. You should use Arial as your only font for this challenge.
Input Files
- Wireframes
- Logo
- Branding Guidelines
- MerlinQueryType.xls – no information to be taken from here, just check it to see how different type of queries can look
Stock Artwork & Icons
- Stock photo and icons are allowed for this challenge. Please remember to declare them so you don’t fail screening.
Target Devices
You must follow the required sizes:
- Desktop: 1366px (w) x height as needed
Marvel Prototype
- Request a Marvel Prototype on forums
- Provide clickable spots (hotzones) to link your screens and show the interactivity.
- We need you to upload your screens to Marvel App.
- You MUST include your Marvel App URL on your notes during submiion upload (in your Marvel App prototype, click on share and then copy that link)
Target Audience
-Risk analysts who needs quick access to information
Judging Criteria
- How easy to use is the tool
- How good is the user Experience
- Does the design follows the branding guidelines?
- Hierarchy and organization of content
- Cleanliness of your graphics and design.
In this challenge we need your help to design a query tool that will allow users to interrogate the database in an easy and smooth way. The client is looking for your UX skills to come up with different user flows on how the user should accomplish this.
For any doubts, feel free to ask any questions in the challenge forum!
Round 1
Submit your initial design for a Checkpoint Feedback1. Guide Tour
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
4. Lists Manager
5. Add New List
- As part of your checkpoint submission, you must upload your submission to Marvel App so we can provide direct feedback on your designs. Please include the Marvel App URL in your notes.txt.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow. Use the proper file numbers, (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Round 2
Submit your Final Design plus Checkpoint Updates1. Guide Tour
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
4. Dashboard – Composite Node Query
5. Save as Template
6. Lists Manager
7. Add New List
8. Templates
- As part of your Final submission, you must replace your checkpoint submission with the final submission into Marvel App so we can provide direct feedback on your designs. Please include the Marvel App URL in your notes.txt.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow. Use the proper file numbers, (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Design Problem
The goal of this application is to come up with a great UX design for a new tool, that will allow any person within the company to query the database without having to reach to the IT team, who is now using SQL queries for this.
The database contains all of the report metadata (risk type, calculation, breakdown, attributes, etc. fields use in scripts and reports). A script is an XML file which has one or more reports associated to it. For example, a user may wish to search against this database to find out which reports would be affected by a change of the “Risk Type” parameter (Risk type values can be “A”, “B”, “BB”, etc.). They would input the risk type value and the query would be sent off to the database. The user is returned a list of scripts which contain the searched risk type along with any related reports.
Most of the times, the client is using same criteria for their search, so they have 9 predefined queries. Note: we don’t have to add a new custom query in this challenge, just show the user experience around 3 of the 9 predefined queries as these are not totally fixed as parameters, but have some degree of flexibility .
Required Pages
In this challenge we are asking for couple of desktop designs. We are attaching a wireframe with the most important pages. Please use them as a starting point in your design and try not to copy it. Look to improve the user experience and design a great user interface.
1. Guide Tour
When the user logs into the application he might be a little overwhelmed to see a lot of information, so we want to make things easier for him and show a guiding tour. This can be something based on dashboard page using tooltips or it can be a slideshow presentation. We are open to your creative ideas.
The only thing we’d like you for sure to use here, is our cool and fun logo, the Merlin character, that should greet user when he first logs in to the application.
2. Dashboard – Impact Query
On his dashboard the user can see the following:
1) Navigation: logo, menu and profile name
2) Server stats: total scripts percentage populated in Merlin, total reports populated in Merlin, etc
3) Pre-defined queries: these are the queries we described above where user has the ability to do small customizations. For example, in an Impact Query, user can chose from all input types that exists (Calculation Method, Entities, Attributes, Business Organization, Risk Types, Parameters, etc.), BUT in an Impact Re-Org Query he can select only the Business Organization option
a. Each of the Input type with function and value is called a term. One or more terms form a statement. One or more statements form a query. User can add more values for one term, he can clear each value and can delete each term as well. He can also add more statements and delete them too.
b. A value can be selected either from a 1. List (dropdown) , 2. Tree – this can be dropdown or other representation ( example: level1-Chase Bank Europe, level 2- Chase Bank France and Chase Bank UK, level 3 – Chase Bank Paris and Chase Bank Marseille) or 3. Manual entered, where user can copy paste a high number of values from another file. Show us how all 3 options look. The tree can have many levels so we’re especially interested to see how the user will navigate through it.
c. The user has the option to load a template which will populated these fields with predefined values and he can save current query as a template.
Remember that a query can include many or few statements. Plan your layout to look good in both cases.
Explicit search can be carried out on any input type, while implicit search can be carried out only on few input types and can be: Hierarchy search or Full search. Implicit search and Like function are mutual exclusive. A Like function means, the search is not exact but returns any result that starts with or ends with the value of the like function.
b. A value can be selected either from a 1. List (dropdown) , 2. Tree – this can be dropdown or other representation ( example: level1-Chase Bank Europe, level 2- Chase Bank France and Chase Bank UK, level 3 – Chase Bank Paris and Chase Bank Marseille) or 3. Manual entered, where user can copy paste a high number of values from another file. Show us how all 3 options look. The tree can have many levels so we’re especially interested to see how the user will navigate through it.
c. The user has the option to load a template which will populated these fields with predefined values and he can save current query as a template.
Remember that a query can include many or few statements. Plan your layout to look good in both cases.
Explicit search can be carried out on any input type, while implicit search can be carried out only on few input types and can be: Hierarchy search or Full search. Implicit search and Like function are mutual exclusive. A Like function means, the search is not exact but returns any result that starts with or ends with the value of the like function.
4) Today’s Query Queue: when the user submits the current query, it will be added to a queue of queries. User can submits queries one after the other, so he needs to see the status of them: which one is running now, which is instantiated (in the queue), cancelled, rejected, completed, has an error or unknown status. User can remove a query from list at any time and that won’t be executed at all and he can also view a completed query, which will show table of results. If he keeps scrolling, user will see the entire history of the queries for that day.
5) Query Results: this represents the table with all scripts and reports associated to the parameters in the query. Each parameter from the query, will be a field in the table’s header. User can download the result as CSV.
6) SQL Syntax: if the user has checked the option to display the syntax behind the query that was set up before, he will see its code and can copy for further re-use.
Check the wireframe to see the exact content of this page, but look to improve the user experience.
3. Dashboard – Re-Org Query
User will see this page, when he clicks on second tab Re-Org. The list of fields that you need to show for this pre-defined query is similar to the Impact Query tab. Please check the wireframes for the exact content.
When you look at the Today’s Queries Queue, you will see that one of the Query has the status “ERROR 451”. The user should be able to click on it and show more details. Show us how that looks.
4. Dashboard – Composite Node Query
User will see this page, when he clicks on the last tab ”Composite Node”. The list of fields that you need to show for this pre-defined query is shown in the wireframes. The number of statements might vary, so take that in consideration when you design these pages.
5. Save as Template
User can save the query they’ve run or plan on running as a query template. The query template will save all the inputs populated by the user. When saving the query template they will save it to the server using any name they wish. If a template with the same name exists already, the user is requested to either overwrite the existing template or choose a different name.
6. Lists Manager
The user can create a list of customized scripts and he can manage them. He can see the existing script lists, he can edit an existing list by renaming it, removing one or more scripts or adding another script to it, he can totally delete a list script or add a new one.
7. Add New List
When a person wants to add a new list he can either create and name a new list by manually entry of copy/paste of other scripts names OR he can create and name a new script list through loading a file with a predefined list of script names. Please check the wireframe to see a representation of this, but bring new ideas around the best user experience.
8. Templates
On this page, the user can manage his query templates: he can see all saved templates, he can edit and delete them. Please check the wireframe to see the content, but show us what other information might be useful to have on this page.
Branding
We have provided the Merlin Branding. Look to follow their colors and text guiding and use the Merlin logo. You should use Arial as your only font for this challenge.
Input Files
- Wireframes
- Logo
- Branding Guidelines
- MerlinQueryType.xls – no information to be taken from here, just check it to see how different type of queries can look
Stock Artwork & Icons
- Stock photo and icons are allowed for this challenge. Please remember to declare them so you don’t fail screening.
Target Devices
You must follow the required sizes:
- Desktop: 1366px (w) x height as needed
Marvel Prototype
- Request a Marvel Prototype on forums
- Provide clickable spots (hotzones) to link your screens and show the interactivity.
- We need you to upload your screens to Marvel App.
- You MUST include your Marvel App URL on your notes during submiion upload (in your Marvel App prototype, click on share and then copy that link)
Target Audience
-Risk analysts who needs quick access to information
Judging Criteria
- How easy to use is the tool
- How good is the user Experience
- Does the design follows the branding guidelines?
- Hierarchy and organization of content
- Cleanliness of your graphics and design.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.