Much has been said lately of the unattractiveness of enterprise software, the hag in the crowd of breezy and polished applications. Enterprise software have come up against themselves on a rude reflective surface that are users’ feedback. It’s like they’ve let themselves go since they were born, complacent they’re more bankable for their substance than for their looks.
But as research shows, ugly designs and clunky interfaces hurt functionality. Productivity is more committed to platforms that are easier on the eyes. Interface is a huge part of the wiles of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, whose looks have paid off in handsome user numbers and their founders’ net worth.
The idea may be “lookist,” but from a business perspective it’s simply “consumerist.” Taking a gander at aesthetic options is seen to improve the user base and promote easier, more intuitive software solutions. Design is the most direct winder of functionality, as visuals alert users to processes and outcomes. The initial confusion is bypassed, and company trainings for software implementation could proceed more speedily, and with the bonus of eye candies.
Infor, the third largest enterprise software developer in the world, radically charged into the idea of more attractive enterprise solutions during Inforum 2013, its annual ball for new products and features. CEO Charles Phillips announced a facelift on its products with a newly developed interface called SoHo, which will also apply to mobile solutions.
Phillips delivered a demonstration practically wrinkling his nose at existing design interfaces developed by Infor’s competitors, including that of Oracle, his former employer. The snobbery, however, did not take long to lapse into substance, as the Infor CEO guides the crowds to a public trial of cluttered looks.
Enterprise software’s reputation for ugliness has long baffled pundits. With the industry growing, it should clean up nice to face the crowds.
Charles Phillips has previously served as president of Oracle Corporation prior to growing Infor as the company CEO. Find out more about enterprise software from Infor.